


Rather be the hunter than the prey

by Zoa



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Attempted Kidnapping, Attempted Murder, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Bodyguard AU, Car Accidents, Car Chases, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Espionage, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Guns, Gunshot Wounds, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Knives, Lando is awesome, Secret Identity, Sexual Harassment, Stabbing, Unwanted Advances, ben goes undercover as matt radario (get it??), ben has a heavy past, but i gotta cover my bases, car crash, established finn/Rose Tico - Freeform, established finnrose, i don't refer to ben as kylo ren at all but as 'k', if it's annoying lemme know, making stuff up about spies as i go along, movie star poe dameron, secret agent ben solo/kylo ren, these tags are making seem more serious than i feel this is gonna be, this'll be fun, which stands for kylo, will be adding more as i go along probably, yes somebody is gonna die but it's no one in the ships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-10-12
Packaged: 2019-10-22 22:53:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 17
Words: 60,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17671667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zoa/pseuds/Zoa
Summary: Title from 'Natural' by Imagine Dragons---------------------------------Agent K is a special operative known as a ghost agent for The Agency, a black ops branch of an international government organization. He is invisible, an ever changing specter who neither takes nor leaves anything of himself on his missions.He has traveled all over the world but his latest assignment takes him close to home to defeat his nemesis, Jonathon Snoke, the reason why he's a ghost. Agent K must go undercover as Matt Radario, the bodyguard of a famous Hollywood movie star. On the job he meets Dameron’s manager, Rey Niima, a woman he must get close to in order to complete his mission. But Rey is not easily convinced and Agent K faces a challenge as he attempts to seduce her.Slowly the stone over his heart cracks as he grows attached to Rey, Poe, and their friends - but will that leave them vulnerable to Snoke?A 'Man to Man' au





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is inspired by the k-drama Man to Man which is amazing and wonderful. It's so great and very reylo. It's on netflix, so if you're able, watch it!
> 
>  
> 
> Oh and I'm writing this chapter by chapter bc i got too excited and wanted to post. so much for any discipline i was supposed to have learned.
> 
> (all moodboards by yours truly)

 

Drawing his coat closer to his body, a tall man took an abrupt left turn down an empty, damp alley, moving swiftly down the dark street; he was too conspicuous in the open. Broad as he was tall, with an aquiline face and a palatial nose rivaling that of Alexander the Great, he was not easily missed.

 

Sometimes he wished he were less noticeable, that it were easier for him to disappear into a crowd. 

 

Other times it worked to his advantage.

 

He pondered that as it came to his mind. It was a thought which would never have occurred to him as a teenager - all limbs and giant ears that he had yearned to hide whenever they were sneered at by the other kids. Then he had wished to vanish and live his life as the invisible boy. 

 

As a man he obliterated that version of himself, military service and subsequent covert assignments alike honing his body into a machine that could be both a juggernaut and gentle lover.

 

Sometimes he needed to be seen. 

 

Night was at its darkest as he left the empty street and entered the alley; a clocktower somewhere struck three in the morning. Mist pervaded the city in a thick blanket - it was an unnaturally warm night for winter in Prague and the strange weather made an eerie backdrop for the otherwise beautiful city. 

 

His footsteps resounded against the walls of the alley as he moved, as if he were one of many. 

 

Too many. 

 

The man slowed his steps, testing a theory. Extra echoes attempting to match his new gait confirmed his suspicions. The corners of his mouth quirked up and he slowly turned to face his stalkers.

 

Two figures, shrouded in the fog, came to a halt at the man’s about-face but rallied quickly and branched out to block the alley. 

 

Behind him the man could hear a third person obstruct the other exit. 

 

He blew out a breath and removed his coat. It fell to the muddied ground unceremoniously; he would get a new one anyway. He widened his stance slightly, just enough to ready himself for their next move. Even in that position he towered over his stalkers; on a normal occasion he could easily overpower them, but that night he reminded himself he needed to hold back. 

 

A split second later the three men advanced. 

 

Unable to go without at least making a mark, the man ducked and rammed into the first of the three as they attacked; the two men fell to the ground in tangle of arms and legs, struggling for dominance. His assailant struggled beneath the tall man’s heavier frame. One punch and the first attacker stopped moving, blood gushing from an obviously broken nose. 

 

_Good._

 

Two pairs of hands grip the man’s shoulders and pull him off their fallen comrade. They threw him onto his back - it took all his discipline not to jump up and retaliate - and pointed a taser at his chest. The tall man grit his teeth and prepared for the shock. He did not have to wait long. The prongs hit him square in the chest and left him convulsing helplessly. 

 

He groaned and rolled to his side, instinct taking over, screaming at him to fight, but before he could rise the butt of the taser met the back of his head and he knew nothing more. 

 

* * *

 

Blurry light entered his vision as he slowly blinked his eyes open. The confines of a white cell greeted him as he sat up, slowly, numbly. He found himself in a grey jumpsuit, sitting on a metal cot covered in a thin mattress and a blanket as dismally grey as what he wore. His head pounded like it was in a vice. 

 

He lifted a hand to the back of his head and winced at the bump which he found there. He had underestimated that taser. 

 

“Agent K.” 

 

His eyes snapped up to find the voice. A grin spread over his face. 

 

“At least I don’t have to spend a week finding you now.” Agent K swung his legs off the cot and planted them on the floor. “Agent S.”

 

The other man - a buzzcut blond with a British accent - chuckled. “They really did us a favor, didn’t they. I do appreciate you coming here, though I am surprised.” He looked at his would-be savior curiously. 

 

“The Agency needs you back.” Agent K explained curtly as he stood.

 

His limbs were still sore from the electricity and he swung his long arms around to loosen them up. Approaching the cell door he peeked out, looking up and down the hallway. His companion joined him.

 

“Time to go then.” Agent S murmured. 

 

* * *

 

Taking out the guards was simple. 

 

Hand over mouth. Headlock. Squeeze.

 

Onto the next. 

 

Their escape did not go unnoticed for long. 

 

Alarms blared around them as the two men breached a heavy metal door into the prison courtyard and were met with a blast of cold air. Agent K’s dark hair whipped around his face as he sprinted behind Agent S toward the high chain-link fence which surrounded the prison.

 

Half rabid dogs and the heavy footsteps of their handlers were close on their heels. Neither man dared look back to see how close. Shots rang out and they were forced to dodge this way and that as bullets came dangerously close to their heads. The two men leapt onto the fence and heaved themselves up and over it, barely missing the clacking, salivating jaws of the dogs. 

 

A black helicopter made an appearance like a dark angel, its thunderous engine drowning out any other noise, and descended to the field in which the two agents were running. The tall grass was flattened by its whipping blades as it hovered a few feet above the ground, a ladder already waiting for its passengers. Agent K almost grinned. Right on time. 

 

Agent S was first on the ladder and clambered up quickly into the helicopter. Agent K, however, had a final message for their hosts. 

 

He grasped tightly onto the rungs of the ladder, swaying in the air as the helicopter swung away, to twist around and salute the guards below. 

 

Bullets answered him. 

 

Worth it. 

 

* * *

 

Agent K strode down the administrative hall of The Agency, straightening his new black suit jacket just so. A crisp, white collared shirt, black trousers, and black tie completed his preferred uniform. His polished black shoes made little noise on the carpeted floor as he made his way to his superior’s office. The only pop of color were his red socks, safely hidden away beneath his trousers. 

 

For some reason he liked the color combination. 

 

Those socks were the only colorful in the entire building. It was a nondescript, glass-windowed, ten story office building, with the usual bland carpeting and white walls that came with that type. To the civilian pedestrian it appeared to be an insurance company.

 

Which made it the perfect cover for its covert operations under world leadership. 

 

As Agent K made his way down those bland, lifeless halls which protected their inhabitants so well, he wondered why he was going to his superior’s office. 

 

Usually he was given a full week for debriefing and rest before a new mission but only a day after his return from Europe he was told to see Head Agent Amilyn Holdo for a new assignment. Whatever it was had to be urgent for her to break protocol. 

 

Her assistant waved him on when he reached Holdo’s office, his thin face blank as it usual. K doubted that in an interrogation not even _he_ could break the guy he was so stoic. 

 

Shaking those thoughts from his head, Agent K entered the inner office to find his boss sitting at her desk, violet hair swept neatly into a bun. Another figure sat in one of the chairs on the other side of the desk, deep in conversation with Holdo. At K’s entrance his boss looked up. 

 

“Agent K, welcome back. Excellent work in Prague.” Holdo stood as she greeted him, her fashionable grey pant suit somehow unwrinkled from her previous position, and gestured to her guest. “You know Mr. Calrissian.”

 

“Hey, kid!” The figure jumped up with a wide grin upon his face. K huffed a laugh and extended a hand out only to be tugged into a hug by the older man. “It’s good to see you!”

 

“You too, Lando.” K meant it. It _was_ good to see his old handler, the only man who he could truly call his friend and ally. Lando had known him before K had joined The Agency. Before he had become someone - something - else. 

 

“Glad you got back in one piece. Heard it got a little hairy there.” Lando remarked with a chuckle. 

 

Agent K nodded but wasn’t too interested in discussing his last mission. While he appreciated seeing his friend again, Lando’s presence in connection to a new assignment could only mean one thing. 

 

“It’s Snoke, isn’t it.” K said gravely, looking at Holdo. He didn’t need to pose it as a question. 

 

“Yes,” Holdo replied and nodded to the seat next to the one Lando had occupied. “Please, sit. Let’s talk.” She sank into her chair and folded her hands together on her desk, lips pressed together tightly. 

 

The two men took their respective seats. Agent K tensed, shoulders and back straight, as if a rod had suddenly been inserted into his body. He waited for Holdo to begin; two seconds felt like two hours. He fixed his eyes on her, unwilling to miss a single word, even to glance at Lando. 

 

The old man understood. He was the only one who did. 

 

“My operatives in the U.S. have new intel that Snoke is on the move. Apparently he has plans for a satellite that is capable of delivering an electromagnetic pulse that would disable all North American grids."

 

K was grateful Holdo never minced her words. She always got straight to the point and did not exaggerate. This seemed a little hard to believe, though. 

 

“What?” K was incredulous. 

 

Holdo nodded solemnly. “Yes. The entirety of the continental United States could go completely dark, leaving it essentially defenseless. Or whatever country he decides to point it at. Frankly, we don’t know what his target is or even if he has one. He might be selling it. Which I don’t need to tell you is a significantly worse scenario.”

 

Selling it to the highest bidder meant ensured the device’s use and would lead to a war, plain and simple. Agent K clenched his jaw and leaned forward slightly.

 

“What do you need me to do?”

 

“Come to California with me,” Lando answered the question. K glanced sharply at him and the older man grinned. “That’s right. I’m your handler again, kid.”

 

“California is Snoke’s base of operations?” Of course it would be. Right under K’s nose. 

 

“For now.” Holdo said slowly. “He’s not finished with preparations for the satellite. Whoever he needs is there.”

 

“Whoever?”

 

Lando cleared his throat. “Snoke is targeting someone who works in a publicity management agency. We don’t know who. That’s part of your mission. To find out.”

 

K frowned, suspicion rising in his gut. “If you know that much, why don’t you know who the person is exactly?”

 

Holdo’s face morphed into an ugly scowl. “Because Snoke took out my people before they could relay the information.”

 

That meant Snoke would be on the lookout for another agent. And also that he had his own operatives in the mix who didn’t hesitate. 

 

“What’s my cover?” K didn’t need to be told anymore. He could read about in the file Holdo would provide for him. He wanted to get moving; already his legs itched to walk out of that office, his fingers itched to hold a weapon - pointed straight at Snoke.

 

Holdo eyed him carefully before answering, leaving him dismayed. That was the look she had before he was given an unpleasant cover. 

 

“Bodyguard.”

 

Oh. That wasn’t so bad-

 

“For a celebrity, Poe Dameron.”

 

That was bad. 

 

K did not see movies often nor pay attention to tabloids. He didn’t care. He wasn’t on social media either, for obvious reasons. So he had no clue who this Poe Dameron was but K could read the carefully placed expression on Holdo’s face and he knew that he was in for a nightmare. 

 

“Won’t that be a risk to my cover?” He asked through gritted teeth. “Having to be in the public eye 24/7?”

 

“I’m sure you can figure something out.” Holdo replied, evidently amused, which only further soured K’s mood. “You’ll have some help. An old friend who will be your undercover employer. Gail Ackbar. You remember him?”

 

Agent K nodded. Ackbar was a retired naval admiral who K had run a mission with a few years previous. He had left the espionage world in favor of the - in K’s opinion - even more unpredictable world of Hollywood and celebrity to run a security agency. 

 

“Good. He’ll be there to help you, but be careful what you ask of him. He’s a civilian now.” Holdo tilted her head at K contemplatively. “Are you sure you’re good for this? I can get someone el-”

 

“I’m good.”Agent K rose and smoothed his tie. His tone was final. No one else got to take Snoke out. No one else had the right. “When do I leave?”

 

Lando stood and pulled a plane ticket out of his dark blue suit jacket’s inside pocket. K noticed the satin lining and almost snorted. Lando still had expensive tastes. 

 

“Here, kid. When you get there contact me and we’ll get you set up in the safe house.” 

 

K took the ticket and studied it. The flight was in 24 hours. A sense of anticipation - something he hadn’t felt since his first combat mission in the Air Force - washed over him. In 24 hours Agent K would be in the same place as Snoke.

 

He would be the closest he had been since London. 

 

Snoke wasn’t going to escape this time. 

 

“You’re free to go and prepare.” Holdo stood up and extended her hand, first to Lando then to Agent K. Her face and tone were serious when she spoke. “I know this mission is incredibly important to you, Agent K. I…” She faltered but recovered quickly, much to K’s relief. The last thing he wanted to do was share feelings with his commander. When she spoke again it was with conviction. “Agent K, Agent L. Good luck.”

 

The two men nodded gravely at Holdo and left the office together. Before they went their separate ways - Lando to catch his flight to Los Angeles and K to pack - Lando stopped the younger man with a hand on his forearm. K looked down in curiosity. 

 

The old man’s mouth was set in a grim line and his eyes were focused on the wall in front of them. 

 

“Ben.”

 

Agent K stiffened. That name had been buried deep in the ground, along with the man it had once belonged to. He tried to tug his arm away from Lando but the other man’s grip was like iron. 

 

“Ben.” Lando repeated, turning his head and looking at K, dark eyes simmering with rage. “You kill that bastard the first chance you get, you hear? Kill him.”

 

There were a few beats filled only with Agent K’s heavy breathing. His heart pounded in his chest and roared in his ears as the past came bearing down on him like a runaway train. He swallowed thickly, pressing his lips together and working his jaw in the only tell he had that he couldn't control. 

 

The only response he could make was a short nod. He couldn’t even look at Lando; he had no right to. 

 

Lando released K’s arm then and it dropped heavily to his side. K stood absolutely still as he attempted to wrangle the once carefully stabled emotions that now threatened to consume him. A gentle pat on his shoulder alerted him that Lando was still there. 

 

“I’ll be there waiting for you… Agent K.” He said quietly, then departed, taking quick but purposeful steps down the hallway. 

 

K closed his eyes, fisting his hands. He would have punched the wall, but figured Holdo might not be too happy about that. He already owed the office plenty of IOUs for other temperamental outbursts. Instead he took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, counting backwards from twenty. 

 

After that he turned and moved swiftly down the hall. 

 

He needed to ready himself. The interaction with Lando had shown him that he was still weak, still compromised. When he confronted Snoke he needed to be in control. 

 

Nothing would prevent him from destroying Snoke and his clandestine First Order Inc. - especially not himself. 

 

Snoke was already dead. He just didn’t know it yet.


	2. Chapter 2

 

Arriving in Los Angeles was a shock to Agent K’s system. Not only was it the warmest place he had been in months, as he stepped off the plane he realized it was the first time he’d been on U.S. soil in years. He expected a little bit of culture shock after being away for so long but was surprised by how little he actually experienced. 

 

Then again he was trained to be a blank slate, to assimilate into any place needed without side effects. 

 

All the same, it was nice to be home, even under the dire pretenses. 

 

The city was a mess and a pain in the ass to drive through. More than once K found himself cursing aloud at the traffic or some pedestrian who decided they had the right to j-walk in front of his rental car. On a freeway. 

 

He had dealt with murderous black market arms dealers but he had never felt angrier than driving on a California highway. 

 

Lando had laughed when Agent K arrived at the pre-appointed safe house - an empty warehouse in the industrial part of town with a basement level that would serve as K’s home while he was on the mission - more flustered than a secret agent trained in the art of discretion should have been. 

 

The lunch the old man had brought helped a little. The burger K didn’t know he was craving from his favorite fast food chain (how Lando had remembered K didn’t know) soothed his hot temper. He promised himself to get as many of the burgers as possible while he was in the States.

 

After the refreshment they got to work arranging the safe house to K’s preferences. Video cameras were already in place and online, but K put up a few more and linked them on his own network, just in case. Paranoia was part of the job and in his experience had proven to be warranted. 

 

Computers and various other technical equipment were brought online: trackers, infrared satellite maps of the city, access to city cameras, bugs, etc. He also played out his personal arsenal on one of the metal tables situated around the room. He only had three weapons - a pistol, sniper rifle, and the combat knife he’d had in the Air Force. That weapon had saved his life more times than he could count. 

 

In addition to his tools the basement consisted of a bedroom, a kitchenette, and a living area with a couch and television. 

 

It wasn’t bad. Actually, it was the Ritz compared to most of his other living arrangements on assignment. 

 

When Agent K was satisfied with his living space Lando briefed him on the mission. 

 

“These are the persons of interest,” Lando handed him four files. “One of these four is the person Snoke is after.” 

 

Agent K took the files and sat on the couch to open them. He selected the top file and perused the information. Each file came with an overview of the subject, their personal and profession background, as well as their driver’s license photo. 

 

“Poe Dameron: star of over forty films, most of them action. Spends a lot of time on social media… Doesn’t have a significant other… but is close to his manager, Rey Niima. Served in the Army?” K glanced up at Lando who nodded. 

 

“Nothing in his military files suggests anything Snoke might be after, but then again we’re not entirely sure what he wants.” Lando shrugged. “Keep an eye on him.”

 

K nodded and moved on. “Finn Stormman. Dameron’s PA. Communications BA from USC. Spent his childhood in the foster system. Young, doesn’t have much experience yet. Can’t imagine he’s who Snoke’s after.”

 

“I’d agree. Go on.”

 

“Rose Tico.” K looked at the photo of a dark-haired young woman with a bright, dimpled smile. “Dameron’s website manager. Computers and tech background. Looks like she earned her position on talent alone. Doesn’t have a degree…” Agent K considered the friendly looking woman with a frown. “See if you can find anything else on her. I’ve got a feeling.”

 

“You and your feelings.” Lando scoffed, but he put a reminder on his phone anyway. 

 

“They’re what’s kept me alive.” K blinked up at his handler. “What about you? Don’t say it’s your wit.”

 

“Charm.” Lando corrected, winking with a broad smile.

 

“Right,” K shook his head dubiously and continued with the files. “Last is Rey Niima. 24? She's young for a position like this…BA in English Literature… Master’s in business management. Spent her youth in the UK. Moved to California after her parents died to live with an uncle, who also died a year after she moved here.” He looked at the photo that came with the file, feeling strangely sympathetic. 

 

Lively hazel eyes peered at him from a tanned face peppered with freckles. Her smile was wide and happy. From what he could make out her light brown hair was done up in a unique style of three buns, though a few tendrils had escaped and framed her face prettily.

 

If he had a type, she might be it. 

 

But he didn’t. He couldn’t. 

 

He shut the file with a snap and stood to make his way to his new closet. Lando watched him curiously. 

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“I’m going to do reconnaissance. I need to know what they’re like in person. Where are they now?” K flipped through the clothes supplied by The Agency, searching for just the right look. 

 

Lando went to the computer and typed in a couple of commands. “They’re heading to a restaurant in Beverly Hills.” 

 

“Then I guess I am too.” Agent K donned sunglasses and a baseball cap before slipping on a blue jacket that had deep enough pockets to hide his surveillance equipment and was light enough to be comfortable in the California winter. He twirled and grinned at Lando, quite pleased with his quickly constructed ensemble. “Time to be a tourist.”

 

“Or an undercover superhero.” Lando chuckled. Agent K’s smile disappeared and he sulked over to the massive surveillance table. 

 

He grabbed a camera before he swept past Lando with a muttered “whatever.”

 

* * *

 

“If you keep eating like that you’re gonna choke, Finn!” Rey declared, pointing at the man in question with a warning finger. His warm brown eyes crinkled with unspilled laughter as he swallowed the huge bite of salmon he had shoved into his mouth.

 

“Yes, mom.” He teased once his jaw was free. 

 

Rey rolled her eyes dramatically and leaned back in the vintage French garden chair, slinging one arm over the back. Her clementine-colored a-line skirt - complemented with a white blouse and a brown belt - fluttered in the warm wind which breezed through the little patio restaurant she and her companions were enjoying a late lunch at. It was a comfortable day in the LA basin, a balmy 80 degrees with not a single cloud in the sky.

 

“Whatever. You can die for all I care. I’ll explain to Rose you were being an idiot. And then find her a new boyfriend. Poe’ll help.” She nodded at the other man at the table who looked up from his smart phone at the sound of his name. 

 

Expertly moussed dark brown curls bobbed as he nodded his head in agreement. “Oh yeah. I’ve already got a couple guys in mind.” He teased, wagging his eyebrows. He wore a dark blue suit but no tie, shirt collar unbuttoned. Skillfully carefree with a hint of flirtatious. Rey knew it well. 

 

Finn’s mouth gaped as he looked between his two supposed friends. “Hey!”

 

Rey snorted at the sight of him. “You look like that fish you just ate.”

 

“Oh, come on.” Finn threw his cloth napkin at her and crossed his arms, wrinkling his dark purple collared shirt, pouting. “You guys are mean.”

 

Poe peered at Finn over his sunglasses. “What _does_ Rose see in you?”

 

Finn leaned forward and a lighthearted argument began between the personal assistant and his celebrity boss. That was the nature of their relationship. Poe could sometimes be unreasonable but Rey knew Finn loved him and was convinced that Poe would never survive without Finn. 

 

She watched with an amused smile as the two went back and forth, sometimes repeating themselves and then getting called on it by the other. She was about to intervene - it was time to go - when she noticed sunlight reflecting off something on the other side of the street, originating from a cafe buzzing with people. 

 

Rey narrowed her eyes, suspicions rising. She’d had this kind of thing happen before - paparazzi loved to test her with their cameras, trolling the unofficial boundaries she had set up to protect Poe. But she wouldn’t have it. Poe valued his privacy and she didn’t enjoy getting her picture taken without permission either. 

 

“I’ll be right back.” She announced, but neither man paid much attention. Rey thought she heard an off-hand grunt from Poe but otherwise they continued their discussion, which had somehow turned from Rose and Finn to the ethics of hunting. 

 

_Whatever. It’s not like I haven’t done this by myself before._

 

She picked up her purse and went inside the restaurant, as if going to the restroom, but she actually snuck out the second entrance to the restaurant. 

 

The element of surprise was the best when it came to those people. 

 

* * *

 

They were having lunch. Fish, it looked like. Stormman was going to choke if he didn’t slow down. 

 

Agent K grunted in amusement as Niima berated the man, wagging a finger. 

 

He watched them through his camera from a little cafe across the street, taking a few photos every now and then to document the event. If anyone passed him by, they would just think he was some tourist trying to spot a movie star or taking pictures of the palm trees swaying gently in the wind.

 

No one noticed him, inconspicuous in his sunglasses and baseball cap.

 

_Wait, where’d Niima go?_

 

Agent K narrowed his eyes then focused his camera to get a better look. She was no longer at the table with the others, but the two men were continuing their conversation.

 

_Must have gone inside._

 

“Hey! You!”

 

K and a few other people started at the exclamation, and the agent turned abruptly in his chair to locate the source. 

 

“Yeah, you with the camera.” 

 

There, standing in front of him, hands on her hips with hazel eyes narrowed (they were so much prettier in person, he thought), was Rey Niima. Agent K looked around her and back to the restaurant she had come from, wondering how in the hell she had managed to sneak by unnoticed. 

 

“Give me your camera.” She extended a hand and beckoned. “Come on. I know you were taking pictures of us.” 

 

Agent K’s jaw went slack. How the fuck had she figured that out? But he quickly shut his mouth. For a moment he considered simply leaving and coming up with an excuse later, but decided to play out the situation, curious about what she would do. He would introduce himself later. 

 

So he remained silent and pushed the camera to her across the wooden table. She hesitated; she was surprised that he had acquiesced so easily. 

 

_She’s used to fighting for what she wants._ The thought passed through Agent K’s mind with a wave of empathy. 

 

But to her credit she recovered quickly and snatched up the camera. Agent K watched her go through the pictures he had taken, snorting in righteous indignation with each one. He watched with a carefully blank expression on his face. 

 

“There.” She tossed the camera back at him and he caught it deftly. “I’ve deleted the photos.” 

 

Rey then leaned on the table with her hands, scowling into his sunglasses. “I have the legal right to report you for harassment -” she didn’t but he was enjoying her attempt at intimidation too much to interrupt - “but I haven’t seen _you_ before. You’re obviously new to the little game the other paparazzi and I are having, so, I’m going to let this slide with a warning. You try this again and I’ll press charges for invasion of privacy.” She straightened, turned on her heels, and strode proudly away from the outdoor cafe. 

 

Agent K watched her as she flounced across the street and back to her friends, who apparently hadn’t even known she’d left. He could just barely hear her reproach them for not noticing she was gone and he allowed himself a smile. 

 

Oh, he liked her. 

 

Which meant she was going to be trouble. 


	3. Chapter 3

 

The morning after the paparazzi interruption Poe had a photoshoot promoting his latest film, but of course he refused to get out of bed, claiming overwork. 

 

But Rey was in no mood. She pulled Poe - still in his silk pajamas - out of bed, dragged him outside, pushed him into the car, and Finn drove them to the beach house rented for the occasion. 

 

Just a typical day in the Dameron entourage.

 

When they arrived the house was already buzzing with activity. Rey dropped Poe off with Kaydel in make-up and wardrobe, grateful to have somebody else deal with his bad attitude, and went in search of Rose, who had texted her early arrival. Finn would have gone with her to say hi to his girlfriend but Poe had grasped his sleeve and ordered another coffee. 

 

Rey made a quick escape and set off. She found the website manager and all around tech savant helping the photographer set up in the backyard next to the giant pool that was the backdrop for the shoot. 

 

Sometimes Rey wondered if Rose wasn’t wasting her numerous talents on website design and glorified babysitting, but she insisted she loved her job and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Rey didn’t argue the point too much. She preferred having Rose around the office. Even though they were roommates and would still see each other at home, Rose made work fun and Poe had never had a better website since she took it on. 

 

“Hey, Rey!” Rose greeted Rey with a bright smile as she walked up. “Nick and I got all the equipment set up.” The photographer gave a little wave to Rey but hastily resumed taking practice shots with his camera. “Now all we need is our star.” Rose continued.

 

“That’ll take another five hours,” Rey responded dryly, at which Rose giggled. 

 

“At least you got him here on time! To be honest I didn’t expect you for another hour.”

 

Rey nodded and sat down in the director’s chair placed next to the computer where Poe would get his make-up touched up between shots and have the opportunity to view and - most likely - complain about the photos. 

 

“That’s why I slept over at his place. I knew it was going to be a nightmare getting him up. No time to spare.”

 

Poe had a bedroom dedicated to Rey’s use, which she used often. It was a symbol of their close relationship, both personally and professionally. They spent many late nights together putting his schedule in order and he didn’t like her going home alone at two in the morning. Thus the bedroom. 

 

Finn and Rose stayed over a lot too, generally for the same reasons. Poe’s house was big enough for all of them and he was generous, despite his sometimes pretentious and dramatic attitude. 

 

Plus it was swanky as fuck with all the amenities a person could want. 

 

Rey reached forward and picked up a coffee next to the computer that had Rose’s name on it. “Is this yours?” She asked before unabashedly taking a sip.

 

“Hey, give me that!” Rose took the coffee away, holding it away from Rey’s grabby hands. “Didn’t Finn get you one this morning?”

 

Rey snorted and rolled her eyes. “Your boyfriend is getting back at me for ‘mothering’ him yesterday.” 

 

“Oh yeah,” Rose laughed. “I heard about that. Okay, you can have some.” She handed the coffee back and Rey made a happy noise before drinking more of the liquid energy. 

 

A jingling tone at her side alerted her to a text and she pulled her phone from her bag. It was from the security company their agency had hired. Ackbar was known for providing the most reliable, professional bodyguards in the state. The film’s producers wanted the best of everything and Ackbar was the best in hid field.

 

Rey breathed a sigh of relief. “The bodyguard the producers want for Poe is supposed to be here today.”

 

“That’s good. Now you don’t have to worry about going up to potentially volatile paparazzi.” Rose looked at Rey pointedly as she helped the photographer set up a tripod. “Finn told me what happened yesterday. Why didn’t you take him with you? That guy could have been dangerous. Remember that one dude who knocked you out with his camera a couple months ago?”

 

Rey made a face. “That was a freak circumstance and won’t happen again. I can handle them if they get handsy. Poe’s taught me some self-defense since then anyway.”

 

“That’s helpful but still, I’ll feel better when there’s an actual guy with training there.”

 

“That’s sexist. How do you know the new guard won’t be a woman?” Rey challenged good-naturedly. 

 

Rose huffed out a breath. “Don’t be a dick. You know what I mean. Have you told Poe yet? You know how he is with bodyguards.”

 

“REY!” Poe’s voice thundered through the pool courtyard. 

 

“No, Rose, I haven’t started that shit-storm yet.” Rey rolled her eyes and looked up lackadaisically at Poe as he stalked up to her chair. “What is it, Poe?”

 

“Kay has put me in red. I distinctly said no red. No. Red.”

 

Finn sheepishly came up behind his boss and immediately moved to his girlfriend’s side, kissing her lightly on the cheek in greeting. 

 

Slowly Rey rose from her chair. “You look good in red and that’s the main color in the film.” 

 

“So is black.”

 

“But that’s not what the _producers_ want you to wear. Remember, those guys who are providing all the money for this project?” Rey took another sip from the coffee before continuing. “Without whom you wouldn’t have a job?”

 

Poe closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Fine.” He bit out. “But I’ll remember this, Niima.”

 

“I’ll be sure to write it down for you,” Rey replied sourly. 

 

“We’re ready for you, Mr. Dameron!” A young man spoke up loudly from next to the pool. He was obviously an intern and Poe turned on him with a merciless expression, his eyes fixed on a new target. 

 

Rey groaned, pitying the intern as Poe walked over and began to rebuke the poor kid for basically doing his job.

 

And she still hadn’t mentioned the bodyguard thing. 

 

That day was destined to get worse.

 

*****

 

The rocky beginning of the shoot smoothed out once Poe fell into the routine. A wardrobe change helped. Rey had no idea what the producers were looking for, but the man looked better in the dark purple suit than he did the red jacket and she hoped they went with the former when they saw the pictures, despite their desire for the red. 

 

As she watched the photographer direct Poe into various positions, finding just the right angle in the afternoon sun, Rey noticed movement on a balcony above the pool. No one was supposed to be up there - it was off limits per the instructions of the homeowners - but sure enough she saw a man in a dark suit disappear into the house just as she looked up. 

 

Rey narrowed her eyes and excused herself from her friends. She walked inside the house, entering through the kitchen door, to confront the intruder. It was probably one of the interns who had just wanted to get a better look at the shoot or snoop around the house. All the same they needed to get out.

 

The beach house was an open floor plan with faux wood flooring, all chrome appliances, white walls, and angular grey furniture. If Rey had to describe it she would say it was like a doll’s house but not as fun. 

 

As she walked toward the staircase that led to the second story she saw the man in the dark suit. Someone familiar.

 

Too familiar. 

 

“What are you doing here?” She exclaimed, shocked to see the paparazzi she had confronted the day before. And in a well-fitted black suit and tie which made him look like James Bond. “How-? What? Get out!” Rey pointed at the door.“Now!”

 

He said nothing but took a step toward her and she reacted by taking step back. He was a lot taller than she remembered but still wearing sunglasses. He took them off as he approached, folding them and placing them in his outer coat pocket.

 

His height didn’t intimidate her. His bulk didn’t intimidate her - and that was definitely impressive. Nothing about him _intimidated_ her. 

 

But his eyes. 

 

His eyes scared her. 

 

They were the prettiest pair she had ever seen. If she wasn’t careful, Rey could lose herself in them.

 

“Hey, stay back,” Rey reached inside her purse to pull out her pepper spray but was dismayed to find it missing. 

 

_Shit! I must have left it at Poe’s!_

 

She looked up at the tall man to see him observing her curiously, but he hadn’t come any closer. All the same, maybe Rose was right and Rey could use some backup. 

 

“Can someone get in here please?” She yelled out the open kitchen door, keeping her eyes on the tall man. “Right now!”

 

At that he took another step forward, reaching inside his dark suit. Rey reacted instinctively, fearing he had a weapon. She lashed out with a punch, a move Poe had taught her, but it did not make contact. 

 

Instead the man caught her by the wrist and twirled her around to hold her against him, her back to his front, with his arm slung across her chest. 

 

Rey didn’t know anyone could move that fast. She was stunned motionless for a few seconds but quickly recovered and stomped the heel of one of her flats into his shoe, wriggling a little to loosen his hold. The only result was a muttered curse. 

 

At that moment Rose and Finn entered the house, responding to Rey’s cry. 

 

“Rey!” Rose darted forward but Finn held her back, eyes wide with fear. Rose’s shout brought the rest of the crew piling into the house, Poe first. 

 

“Hey,” he strode into the room, unafraid, his face grim as he pointed at the man who had Rey locked in his arms. “Let her go. Rose, call the police.” 

 

Rose already had her phone out and was dialing 911. 

 

“WAIT A MINUTE, just hold on!” A lanky, tanned older gentleman in a similar suit as the tall man pushed his way into the now crowded room and stood in front of Rey’s captor, his hands up. The interruption surprised Rose into dropping her phone. “I can explain this!”

 

“Ackbar!” Poe snapped. “What the hell?”

 

Rey continued to struggle in the tall man’s hold. His grip on her wrist was not tight, but it remained firm. 

 

“Can someone please get this Neanderthal off of me?” She demanded. 

 

An amused grunt rumbled through said Neanderthal’s chest.

 

“Radario, let her go.” Ackbar ordered wearily. At his command the hand on Rey’s wrist released and she pushed herself away from her captor, who remained standing placidly. Poe reached out and tugged her close, an arm wrapping protectively around her waist. 

 

The tall man cocked his head slightly, eyes narrowed. 

 

“Are you alright?” Poe murmured to Rey, his brow wrinkled in concern. 

 

“I’m fine.” Rey insisted, gently disentangling herself from his embrace. “But what’s going on? This is the paparazzi that was taking pictures of us yesterday.” She looked at Ackbar for an explanation.

“Reconnaissance.” The tall man spoke up instead, his deep voice reverberating in a surprisingly attractive baritone.

 

“What?” Rey blurted, thrown by how his voice seemed to echo inside her head. 

 

“I was performing a preliminary survey of my client. Determining what he needed for security. I’ve found that security sorely lacking. I was able to get in here without being questioned. It’s embarrassing, frankly.” 

 

Rey was shocked. Poe’s safety was her priority and so far she had done a damn good job considering Poe was a nightmare to keep an eye on. 

 

_Who does this guy think he is?_

 

“This is Matt Radario,” Ackbar supplied quickly, before Rey could ask her question aloud. “Mr. Dameron’s new bodyguard.”

 

Everyone’s mouths dropped open. Poe was the first to find his voice. 

 

“I don’t need a bodyguard!” He insisted. “Rey, what is this?” 

 

“The producers want you to have one.” She growled, glaring at her boss. “I should have told you earlier. They said it’s necessary, so you’re gonna get a bodyguard.” She only hoped they weren’t too picky on who because there was no way this Matt guy could be it. 

 

Poe’s face scrunched up in frustration. “Does it have it to be him?” He pointed at Matt. “He attacked you.”

 

The accused cleared his throat. “I didn’t attack her. She tried to punch _me_. I defended myself.”

 

“You were moving around in here like a cryptid!” Rey snapped back, annoyed by Matt’s calm tone which somehow came across to her as sensual. “What was I supposed to do? You didn’t tell me who you are!”

 

Matt blinked repeatedly. “Cryptid?”

 

Ackbar put a hand on Matt’s shoulder in a wordless exchange that Rey couldn’t figure out. Whatever was meant, afterward Matt relaxed and addressed Poe. 

 

“My apologies, sir, for my rudeness. I didn’t mean any harm. I’m a huge fan and it will be a great honor to serve as your security.”

 

The actor stared at Matt for a long time before replying. “No.” He shook his head. “No. I’m not gonna work with this guy.”

 

“You don’t have a choice, Mr. Dameron.” Ackbar said apologetically. “I’ve been hired by your producers and they said they wanted the best. Matt is the best. He’s your new bodyguard whether you like it or not.”

 

Said bodyguard smiled politely at his potential clients. 

 

Rey and Poe exchanged a glance, the exact same thought running through their minds. 

 

_Fuck._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Zoa's Twitter](https://twitter.com/StarToured)
> 
>  
> 
> [Zoa's Tumblr](http://star-toured.tumblr.com/)


	4. Chapter 4

 

In a downtown Los Angeles tower a thin, pale man entered an elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. His ginger hair was swept back neatly but with too much product, making it appear waxy and doll-like. His black clothes were unusual: his shirt had a clerical collar which, combined with his knee-length coat, gave off a ‘Matrix’ vibe he didn’t intend. 

 

As he stepped out of the elevator he was met with a long, windowless hallway draped in red curtains. His shoes clicked on the black and white marble tiles, echoing off the walls as he made his way to the grand black doors at the opposite end. 

 

The doors opened seemingly of their own accord as he approached, revealing a dark office that was decorated richly with various artifacts and art that had long ago disappeared from the public eye. 

 

A large desk sat in the center of the room, smooth mahogany wood completely bare of ornament. Not even a computer rested atop it. A massive, expensively cushioned high back chair was turned from him, facing the only window in the room, which ran from the high ceiling to the floor. It too was framed by red curtains. 

 

Despite the sunlight streaming in through that window the atmosphere was oppressive. 

 

The red-haired man stopped just short of the desk and waited. 

 

“Hux.” A gravelly voice floated to him from the chair. Slowly the chairturned so that Hux was face to face with the owner of the voice. Jonathon Snoke was a tall man - giant by normal standards -and thin with a sickly grey pallor. A ferocious scar ran down his bald head, snaking its way to his forehead between his brows. One side of his face was sunken in, a result of a disease Snoke had spent millions to cure. It had been shocking to see the first time and not much better the second or third. 

 

“Mr. Snoke.” Hux stood straighter. “You have a mission for me.”

 

Before he answered Snoke considered his lackey thoughtfully, his colorless eyes focused on Hux’s forehead, as if they were trying to splice into his brain. “Yes. It appears that The Agency has been made aware of our plans. Apparently your efforts a month ago to eliminate the leaks was unsuccessful.”

 

Hux fisted his hands to stop their sudden tremor and swallowed thickly. “That is… unfortunate. My apologies, sir.”

 

Snoke waved a hand dismissively. “It _is_ unfortunate. But you have an opportunity to redeem yourself.”

 

“Yes sir?”

 

Snoke leaned forward, lifeless eyes suddenly aflame. “They will surely have sent an agent already. We must move up our plans. Extract the target then find and kill the agent.”

 

“Yes, sir.” Hux snapped his heels together in salute, a remnant habit of a life long ago abandoned. His employer laughed throatily, amused by the gesture, and Hux’s blood boiled in embarrassment. 

 

“Go, Hux. I trust you won’t disappoint me.” Snoke leaned back in his seat, hiding his face in shadow, and templed his fingers together.

 

Even as the office doors closed behind him Hux could feel Snoke’s eyes upon him. There was no relief until he reentered the elevator. 

 

“I trust you won’t disappoint me.”

 

It was an order, not a declaration of Snoke’s faith in Hux.

 

Failure was not an option. 

 

* * *

 

Agent K swallowed the last bite of his burger just as he arrived at his new workplace. He had quickly developed an addiction to Red Rover Burgers (colloquially called  R2's by its patrons) after Lando reintroduced them to him. Luckily, they served their famous burgers 24/7, a schedule of which Agent K took full advantage.

 

Before he stepped out of the black sedan Ackbar had loaned him, he wiped his mouth with a napkin. It wouldn’t do to have mustard all over his face first day on the job.

 

He buttoned his suit jacket and eyed Poe Dameron’s lavish mansion as he approached the front door. It was reminiscent of a California bungalow but much bigger; K surmised it had to have at least eight rooms. The front door was wooden and, from what K could tell, custom made.

 

While he waited for someone to answer his knock his thoughts revisited the day before. His introduction to Dameron’s entourage hadn’t gone exactly to plan, but it had been illuminating. For one thing, he had confirmed Rey Niima was someone to watch. K did not think she was Snoke’s target but her sharp eyes and quick reactions were liabilities. He needed to be careful of her. 

 

For another, Niima and Dameron were close. Agent K wasn’t sure it was romantic in nature (he thought not considering how Niima had extracted herself from the actor) but their relationship was deeper than the file on them indicated. 

 

The professional side of his mind told him whatever Niima’s connection was to Dameron was irrelevant to his mission, but another less practical side thought it important to find out. She intrigued him. Not many people were able to detect him twice in a row and of those people only a handful were still alive. 

 

The front door opened and K refocused. Dameron’s assistant, Finn, greeted him and allowed him into the house.

 

“Uh, Poe’s not up yet.” Finn explained as he led K into the kitchen, the biggest K had ever seen. Dameron could have fifty people in it and still have extra space. White cabinets complemented white marble countertops and state-of-the-art appliances to shape a room K was sure had cost more than Finn’s yearly salary to build. 

 

“That’s alright.” K glanced at his watch - six o’clock in the morning - then drew his attention back to Finn. “I don’t need him to be awake to do my job.”

 

Finn laughed nervously. “Yeah, I know. It’s just… sometimes he pretends to be asleep when he’s upset. He’s doing that now. Because, y’know, of you. It wouldn’t be an issue normally. I can usually handle him - I just ride it out until he gets hungry - but he’s got an interview this morning on the other side of town and if he doesn’t get up he’ll be late and he’s not listening to me and Rey’s not here and if he doesn’t get to the studio on time he’s in deep shit but he won’t get up!” He gasped for breath, hand on his heart. 

 

Agent K stared at the younger man in disbelief. He had the distinct feeling he had bought nonrefundable tickets to a preschool circus. “Your boss - an adult well into his forties - is pouting because he needs a bodyguard?”

“Uh huh.” Finn winced. “I’m sorry, man. I don’t mean to put you on the spot, but I was kinda hoping you could help me get him up. Oh, and don’t tell him you think he’s in his forties. I’m not dealing with that mess again.”

 

“I see.” For a moment K considered just dragging the man bodily out of bed but a better idea occurred to him. Without another word he moved around the kitchen and gathered some spices and baking powder, then strode out and toward the sleek carpeted staircase he’d seen when hewalked in. Finn hurried after him.

 

“Uh, his bedroom is upstairs, last door on the left. What are you gonna do?” Finn stopped at the bottom of the stairs, gazing at K with a mixture of awe and fear. 

 

K stopped and tossed his car keys to Finn. “We’ll take my car. Get it started. I’ll have him down in ten minutes.”

 

****

 

Finn hadn’t been kidding. Poe Dameron was actually lying in his king-size bed with a fucking sleeping mask on pretending to be asleep. K had walked in with habitual stealth and was staring at the man draped dramatically over grey sheets. It was hard to believe this guy had been an Air Force pilot. A good one too according to his file. 

 

Not as good as K, but close.

 

Dameron didn’t know there was anyone in the room yet he still kept up the act.

 

_That’s commitment._ K thought wryly as he made his way to the black chrome and orange decorated bathroom. Putting aside his distaste for the decor K put his kitchen supplies down on the sink. He mixed the spices and baking powder together with a little water and contained the mixture in a small empty bottle he always carried, just in case. After that he returned to the bedroom and picked up the electric alarm clock on the nightstand.

 

A moment later he had placed the alarm clock under the bed with bottle attached, turned on the timer setting, and walked out of the room. He checked his watch, eyeing the progress of his little project. 

 

30 seconds. 

 

20 seconds. 

 

10 seconds. 

 

Agent K crossed his arms and leaned casually against the hallway wall. He heard the alarm clock go off and a small ‘poof’ then Dameron shouting and coughing. The bedroom door opened and the actor came stumbling out in silken pajamas, covering his mouth with his sleeping mask. A spicy scent floated out which stung K’s eyes. 

 

_It worked._ K was quite pleased with himself. 

 

Dameron looked less so. His red-rimmed eyes caught sight of Agent K and he pointed at him accusingly. 

 

“You! What the hell? What did you do?” He coughed violently into his sleeve. 

 

“Stink bomb.” K replied simply, too amused to give anymore explanation. 

 

“What?” Dameron gawked and wiped his still watering eyes on his sleeve. “You put a fucking bomb in my room?” 

 

Agent K rolled his eyes and grasped Dameron’s arm. “It was harmless. Come on. You have an interview.” He pulled the actor toward the staircase. 

 

“Harmless? _Harmless?_ I can’t see! Get off me!” He tried to pull himself away but Agent K was at least four inches taller and had a weight advantage. He got Dameron down the stairs and out the door with little trouble.

 

Outside Finn had the car waiting just as K had told him. He stepped out of the vehicle with a grin. He had a phone in his hands and on speakerphone a female voice asked what was going on.

 

“You got him up! Rey, Matt got him up! Morning, Poe! What’s wrong with your eyes?”

 

“Finn, you asshole!” Dameron shouted. “Why’d you send this psycho up there?”

 

“Why? What’d he do?”

 

_“What’s going on?”_ Rey called loud enough through the phone Agent K could hear her clearly. 

 

“Get in the car.” He opened the back passenger door of the sedan and pushed Dameron toward it. Remembering his roll he added: “sir.”

 

The actor braced himself against the frame of the car then whirled on K. “Hey! Quit the rough stuff!”

 

_“Finn!”_

 

Finn, surprised by Rey’s shout, accidentally sent the phone flying across the top of the car. K caught it deftly and lifted it to his mouth. 

 

“Ms. Niima. This is Matt Radario. We are on our way to the interview location at the moment. When we arrive Mr. Stormman will contact you.”

 

_“Wh-?”_

 

Agent K hung up and tossed the phone back at Finn. 

 

“Get in the car.” He ordered. Finn, too stunned to do anything else, immediately obeyed. 

 

Dameronglared at K. “I’m not getting in this car with you.”

 

K blew out a breath and pressed Dameron’s head down as he pushed him into the car, slamming the door for good measure. He kept a hand pressed against the back door as he opened the passenger side to speak with Finn. 

 

“Mr. Stormman, could you please put the child locks on?”

 

Finn did as ordered - to loud protests from his boss -and, assured Dameron couldn’t get out, K got in the vehicle. 

 

“Uh, am I driving?” Finn hesitated 

 

The assistant put the car into gear at the look Agent K shot at him and sped off down the long driveway. 

 

“This is kidnapping!” Dameron was irate. “I can have you fired for this! Finn, don’t think I won’t do it to you, either!”

 

K turned in his seat to look at the man, whose splotchy skin and red eyes were definitely going to be a nightmare for the make up people at the interview. Agent K was a little regretful of that. But not much. 

 

“Please, Mr. Dameron. I don’t want to be the one to explain to your producers the embarrassing reason you were late to this interview.” 

 

The veiled threat had the desired effect and Dameron shut his mouth. The rest of the ride was spent in sullen silence. 

 

* * *

 

Rey checked her phone every other second while she paced the studio, waiting for any news from her MIA friends. Poe was five minutes away from being late and the morning show’s producers were getting cranky. Rey was having a hard time reassuring them that Poe would be there. She didn’t quite believe it herself. 

 

_I never should have let Finn deal with Poe on a tantrum day._ She chastised herself, growing more and more irritated with every passing moment. 

 

It didn’t help that the last contact she’d had with Finn and Poe was cut short by that new bodyguard Matt the radar man or whatever. 

 

“Sounds like a fake name,” Rey muttered to herself and checked her phone again. Nothing. She nearly threw it on the floor. 

 

Then she heard Finn’s text tone.

 

**_Coming in._ **

 

“Oh thank God.” Rey rushed to the entrance of the studio to greet them, thankful she had decided to go with her usual jeans and converse that day so she could move faster. As she passed by the producers she announced that Poe was there, giving them a brief smile before barreling to the front door. She skidded to a stop at the reception desk and when she saw the three men enter the studio she breathed a sigh of relief.

 

Then she got a good look at Poe. 

 

“What happened to your face?” She yelped. This was not good. He looked like a victim of that face-sucking monster from _Star Trek._

 

“He happened!” Poe pointed viciously at Matt the bodyguard. “He set a stink bomb off in my room!”

 

Rey slowly turned her head to give the ridiculously tall man a death glare. “You did _what_?”

 

Matt only met her gaze with a blank look. 

 

For a moment Rey struggled with what to do: yell at the insufferable bodyguard or get Poe to his interview. Finally she let out a frustrated growl and grabbed Poe’s arm. 

 

“Come on. We have to get upstairs.”

 

****

 

The makeup people had been shocked to see Poe’s condition but considering they only had a few minutes to fix him, he looked decent. Nothing like what Kaydel could do, but good enough. The editors could touch him up in post, Rey was told. 

 

At least that was one problem fixed. As she and Finn watched Poe being grilled on his latest project, Rey wondered what to do about Matt Radario, the bodyguard from hell. Who did he think he was, setting off a stink bomb and nearly ruining the day?

 

She looked over her shoulder to where he was lurking beyond the lights and glared at him. He was impassive, as usual, making no indication he had seen her or noticed her scowl. Growling low in her throat Rey returned her attention to Poe’s interview.

 

“Uh, you okay?” Finn whispered. 

 

“Fine.” Rey mumbled. “Just wondering how we managed to get an insane robot for a bodyguard.”

 

Her friend glanced at Matt and chuckled. “Y’know, he’s not all bad. I needed help and he pulled through. Plus he wears red socks. That means he has a personality somewhere in there.” 

 

Rey put a hand to her chest in shock. 

 

“He _can wear something other than black?_ ” She sighed. “Whatever. Despite your weird theory about his clothes, I can’t have him setting off explosions every time Poe needs a kick in the arse.”

 

“What are you gonna do? Fire him?”

 

“I can’t fire him,” Rey groaned. “The producers told me they’ll pull out if he’s not the bodyguard. I don’t know what the guy has on them but it’s good. I’ll just have to tell him not to do this again and hope he listens.”

 

“I think he will.” Finn said thoughtfully and Rey wondered what made him believe that, but didn’t pursue it. Even if he was right, Matt was still going to be a handful. 

 

“Anyway,” Rey decided to move on to a different subject. “Rose and I need your help at the apartment.”

 

Finn frowned dubiously. “You’re not gonna ask me to fix another light, are you? I can still feel the shock from the last time.”

 

“And people say Poe’s the dramatic one.” Rey deadpanned. “No. We’re repainting the living room and need your height. Rose said to tell you it would be a _special favor_.” The words’ implication left a nasty taste in Rey’s mouth and she grimaced - Finn’s ridiculous smirk didn’t help. “You guys are so gross.” 

 

“I’m gonna tell Rose you said she’s gross.” Finn threatened teasingly. 

 

Rey laughed. “Oh, I’ve already told her. She’s the best roommate ever except when it comes to you. Then she’s absolutely impossible.”

 

“He-”

 

“You live with Tico?” A deep voice interrupted Finn’s response. 

Rey and Finn whirled around to find Matt the bodyguard somehow right behind them.

 

_How did he do that?_ Rey was again surprised by how quickly and quietly the man moved. 

 

“Uh, yeah.” She confirmed aloud, eyeing him suspiciously. “Rose and I are roommates.”

 

Matt grunted but said nothing else. His dark brown eyes observed Rey but not intrusively. Rey hesitated for a moment before turning her back on him. She could feel his presence there, hulking and intense, remain there throughout the rest of Poe’s interview. The memory of being held to his chest at the photo shoot came unbidden to her mind and a shiver ran through her body. 

 

Another image shot through her brain of him holding her again but in a very, very different way and she barely kept herself from physically recoiling at the surprising direction her mind had taken. 

 

“ _Gross!_ ” Rey exclaimed. The two men beside her - when had the bodyguard moved to her side? - looked at her in surprise.

 

“What’s gross?” Finn frowned. Matt narrowed his eyes appraisingly. 

 

“Uh,” Rey stammered and blushed deeply. She focused her gaze straight at the set, unable to meet Matt’s eyes. “Nothing. Nothing.”

 

There was no way she was attracted to Matt the bodyguard. 

 

No. Way. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight change: I switched Poe from being an Army veteran to being an Air Force one. It just made more sense and tbh i'm a little ashamed I hadn't thought of it at the beginning. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

 

At the end of K’s first week with Dameron, Lando stopped by the warehouse for a prearranged progress briefing. K was sitting at one of the metal tables, busy cleaning his various weapons, when Lando trotted down the stairs to the makeshift apartment in the basement. 

 

“Agent K,” Lando greeted cheerfully. K responded with a grunt, eyes trained on cleaning out a groove in his sniper rifle. He watched his handler approach the table from the corner of his eye. “How goes it?” Lando added, an amused edge to his tone. 

 

“Are you asking to be briefed or is that a personal question?” K murmured absently. 

 

Lando considered the question a moment. “Let’s try the personal version first.” 

 

K sighed and raised his head. If he was being forced to be personal then at least he could get something out of it. “I’m fine. Could use some food, though. Did you bring anything?”

 

Lando glanced toward the kitchen and K winced when his eyes landed on the pile of burger wraps erupting from the trashcan like the fast food version of Krakatoa. Lando turned back to K in shock.

 

“You’ve gotta be kidding me!”

 

K cleared his throat, preparing to defend his diet. “They’re good.”

 

“You can’t _just_ eat burgers!”

 

“It’s protein.”

 

“Do you have _any_ vegetables?”

 

“Since when did you become my nanny?” K mumbled childishly and went back to cleaning his rifle. “Do you want that briefing or not?”

 

The older man glared at him but let the argument go. “Alright. What do you have to report?”

 

Grateful for the quick switch back to business, K launched into his account of his first week as a bodyguard. He outlined his first interactions - Rey at the restaurant, everyone else at the photoshoot - and his experience in Dameron’s entourage. 

 

“Yesterday was uneventful.” He continued. “After the interview incident Dameron locked himself in his room and didn’t come out. Since he didn’t have anything pressing to do, I left him there. Niima was the only one he’d see anyway.”

 

Lando barked out a laugh. “He must have been a joy at bootcamp.” He had gotten himself a cup of coffee while K made his report and was now sitting on the opposite side of the table. “What’s your impression of Niima?”

 

“She’s observant, quick-witted. Doesn’t take shit from anyone, especially Dameron. Smells like vanilla and brown sugar…” The last sentence came out as an afterthought, not meant to be spoken aloud. As soon as he realized what he’d said, K reached blindly for an explanation. “Meaning she can afford expensive soaps. I don’t see her being swayed for financial reasons. She’s too proud.”

 

“Right,” Lando replied slowly, eyeing K suspiciously. Pretending not to notice, K put his sniper down and switched to cleaning his pistol. 

 

“By the way, Niima doesn’t live with Dameron. The file’s wrong.” Agent K hoped that by pointing out a flaw in Lando’s information he would forget K’s strange faux pas. 

 

Lando raised a brow in surprise. “Oh?”

 

_Good_. 

 

K nodded, eyeing the shine on his pistol as he cleaned it. “She actually lives with Tico, but she’s over at Dameron’s as often as she is at home.”

 

“What’s the nature of their relationship? Romantic?”

 

K hummed, an involuntary frown creasing his forehead. “No, I don’t think so. They’re close, but not romantically. If there are feelings they’re one-sided on Dameron’s part. She’s, ah…” He put the pistol down and thought a moment. “She’s pragmatic. I can’t imagine her wanting to be with someone like Dameron.”

 

Once again Lando gazed at him with narrowed eyes. K scowled but this time met Lando’s stare. 

 

“What?” He snapped. 

 

“You like her.” Lando pointed a finger at K accusingly but with a grin on his face.

 

K snorted. “No.” He said it too quickly and Lando gave him a look. K rolled his eyes. “Fine. I do like her, but not in the way you’re thinking.”

 

The knowing expression Lando gave him was almost too much for K’s increasingly short temper. “Which way am I thinking?” Lando asked suggestively. 

 

K’s waspish reply was cut short by an alert going off on a nearby computer, one set up to scan for cyber intrusions on K’s devices. The ghost agent and his handler both moved to the computer and stared at the screen. Sure enough the computer showed someone was attempting to hack into the cell phone Agent K used as bodyguard. 

 

“Huh.” K glanced at the phone, laying on the table behind him next to his pistol. “That’s interesting.”

 

“That’s one word for it.” Lando grunted. “Your cover might be blown.” 

 

“I highly doubt that.” K reached into his pocket and pulled out another cell phone - his real Agency issued one. The other phone was a decoy, created especially for Matt Radario with no link to The Agency. “But let’s find out. I’ll retrace the signal and we’ll find whoever is doing this.”

 

He plugged the phone into the computer and downloaded the information he needed. He left the other phone where it was. If the hacker was tracking him, they would think he was exactly where he was supposed to be. 

 

Joining Lando at the stairs the two ascended and got into Lando’s vehicle. K directed as his handler drove, watching a little white dot representing them blip over a map of the city and move closer to a blinking blue dot which represented their target. 

 

The white dot overtook the blue dot at a public library about ten miles from K’s warehouse.

 

“This is it?” Lando unbuckled his seatbelt and stared critically at the building. It was older but well cared for; there was a sign out front that said it was a gift to the neighborhood in 1977 by some charity called A New Hope. “A library?”

 

“Yeah.” K got out of the car and glanced from his phone to the building. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”

 

“Don’t hackers normally like dark basements?” Lando quipped as he stepped out and locked the car behind him. He straightened his forest green suit jacket and ceremoniously fixed his brown tie before moving to K’s side. 

 

“You watch too many movies.” K responded dryly as he made for the entrance. He pulled his baseball cap out of his pocket and slid it over his head. He and Lando looked drastically different: K wore a grey t-shirt marked with grease from his guns, jeans, and black Converse. Anyone who saw them probably thought K was a charity case Lando was helping out. K didn’t care. If that was the case, it just provided them cover.

 

“Oh yeah, put the hat on _going into_ the building.” Lando quipped, clapping a hand on K’s shoulder. “That doesn’t look weird.” 

 

“Shut up.”

 

****

 

The library was quiet and nearly empty, as most libraries are in these days. K looked at the signage for anything indicating a computer lab and after a few minutes of wandering around finally found one. 

 

It directed them to the basement. 

 

K pointedly ignored Lando’s smug grin. 

 

When they reached the bottom of the stairs they faced two rows of computers. Most looked like they were from the 90s but some were state of the art. K glanced down at his phone and nodded toward a dark corner of the basement, at the end of the first row. He and Lando slowly made their way to the location of the blinking blue dot on K’s phone

 

As they approached K could see the top of the hacker’s head. Their back was turned and they wore giant orange headphones. 

 

K had seen those headphones before. At Dameron’s house. In a meeting with his entourage… 

 

“Wait,” he hissed, throwing an arm out to stop Lando. K grabbed his handler’s arm and did an about face, pulling Lando back to the stairs. 

 

“What are you doing?” The older man whispered urgently.

 

“I’ll explain in the car.” K replied. 

 

Once in the safety of Lando’s vehicle, Lando turned and looked at K expectantly. The agent was busy on his phone, tapping in various commands, and didn’t notice the pointed gaze until a very obnoxious cough came his way. K slowly raised his head and glared at Lando. 

 

“You could ask nicely.” He mumbled. “Instead of spitting all over me.”

 

Lando raised his arms in a motion of exasperation. “You told me you’d explain in the car. We’re in the car. You say nothing. Why’d we have to get out of there like that?”

 

K put his phone down but kept his eyes forward, watching the library entrance. “It was Tico.”

 

Lando blinked twice then narrowed his eyes. “Tico? Dameron’s website manager?” 

 

“Yeah.” K worked his jaw, mind running over every minute he had spent with the young woman. She was bubbly, funny, kind, but wouldn’t take shit. He had watched her code new elements to the website before but that wasn’t especially unique. He hadn’t seen anything about her that clued she was a hacker.

 

If he had missed Tico’s secret identity as an apparently talented hacker then what else had he missed about these people?

 

Lando was saying something and K brought himself out of his self-reproach. 

 

“Are you sure it’s her? Maybe someone was routing the signal through her computer?” He suggested but K shook his head. 

 

“They weren’t. It’s her. I’m positive.” 

 

Lando sat back in his seat and blew out a breath. “Alright. So Tico is a hacker who nearly succeeded in breaking into your phone. Good thing that’s your cover phone.” 

 

“Yeah…” K pressed his lips together. “How deeply did you look for that file on her?” He asked, voice low. 

 

“Our people did their job, K.” Lando responded defensively. K’s eyes flashed angrily in Lando’s direction. 

 

“No, they didn’t.” He stated firmly, slowly, trying very hard to maintain his temper. “We would have known if they had.”

 

For a moment the pair stared at each other, both upset at the developmentthey should have been aware of at the start. Finally Lando relented. 

 

“I’ll have The Agency people go back over the information.” 

 

“Thank you.” K faced the windshield just as Rose walked out of the library. He watched her walk to her car, a beat up Saturn, get in, and drive off, completely unaware of the two men watching her. “She’s the one Snoke wants.”

 

“Wow, that’s a leap.” Lando turned to frown at K. “Just because she might dabble in hacking doesn’t mean she’s the person Snoke’s after.”

 

“I’ve got a feeling.”

 

Lando pursed his lips. “Alright.” K ignored the sigh of frustration before Lando continued. “It’s a theory. If that’s the angle you want to work then you know what you need to do. I’ll try to confirm your ‘feeling’ from my end.” 

 

He started the car as he spoke and maneuvered into the street. 

 

K scowled at the street as they drove. “What do you think is the best tactic?”

 

“You’ve spent time with these people,” Lando said instead of answering. “Your guess is better than mine.”

 

As frustrating as it was to admit, Lando was right. All the scenarios on how K could possibly get close to Rose filed through his mind. 

 

She already had a boyfriend and loved him. Romancing her wouldn’t work. 

 

Finn liked him, but K wasn’t sure that was enough.

He might be able to befriend her, but had a feeling she was suspicious of him for Niima’s sake.

 

Niima. She lived with Rose.

 

“The best way is to get close to either Finn or Niima.” K stated after his internal debate. “Finn likes me. Niima doesn’t.” He didn’t know why but that fact stung a little. 

 

“You said Niima lives with her.” Lando added.

 

“Finn must be there all the time as well.” K argued, reluctant for an unknown reason to manipulate the pretty manager.

 

His handler raised a brow. “What excuse are you going to have to go with him to see _his_ girlfriend? You’d have to be with him 24/7 and that’s gonna get weird after awhile.”

 

Damn it. That was a good point. 

 

“But Niima doesn’t like or trust me.” K repeated through gritted teeth. “Our first encounter wasn’t exactly the friendliest and she didn’t appreciate how I got Dameron to his interview.”

 

Lando threw his head back and burst into laughter. “Am I hearing this right? The Agency’s best ghost, a man who has seduced the coldest of women, has faced the most dangerous villains, is afraid he can’t woo the publicity manager for a movie star?” He gasped for breath between words. 

 

“Fuck off.” K snapped, heat flushing his ears. He was grateful his hair was long enough to hide his embarrassment. “That’s not the problem. She doesn’t trust easily.” 

 

After a few deep breaths Lando finally got himself under control, much to K’s relief. “Then make her trust you. K, I may be an ass sometimes, but I wasn’t kidding when I said you’re the best we’ve got. Just do what you have to do. It’s like any other mission.”

 

K wasn’t so sure about that. There was foreign element to this one, and it had to do with Rey Niima. He hadn’t figured it out yet but she was different. 

 

Wooing her, as Lando so eloquently put it, was not going to be as easy as the old man thought it would be. 

 

* * *

 

The movie set was buzzing with activity: scenery was being moved all over the place, extras were being directed, assistants were spilling coffee - it was chaos. 

 

But there was a familiarity and comfort Rey enjoyed in all the bustle. It was like a village; everyone negotiating for something, shouting for another thing, needing to compromise on the first item. She liked to watch it all unfold and then settle into place when the cameras started to record. Everything and everyone would quiet, respectfully watching and waiting. Then the director would shout “cut!” and noise would erupt again. 

 

That day they were shooting a romantic scene on a soundstage and Rey had to focus on Poe. The man hated romance scenes. The only time he was shy was around a female co-star he had to kiss. He got through it - he was still a good actor and he usually had great chemistry with his counterpart - but those scenes made him made him moody. 

 

Poe was sitting on the set, dressed in loose shirt with an open collar and pants that were too loose for him. His character was an undercover cop pretending to be a drunken gambler who couldn’t afford a shirt without a hole in it much less well-fitted ones. 

 

Yet despite that persona his curls were somehow immaculate. 

 

_The magic of hair and makeup,_ Rey thought wryly. 

 

“How’s our favorite drama king?” Rose popped up beside where Rey stood next to the hospitality cart, slurping on a slushee from R2’s.

 

“Wanting to yell at someone. The usual. Is that cherry?” Rey made grabby hands for Rose’s beverage. 

 

Rose laughed and held it away. “Why can’t you get your own drinks?”

 

“Because I don’t have time when I’m babysitting a toddler!” Rey gestured to Poe on the soundstage. 

 

Her friend laughed again and handed the slushy to her. “Alright, you can have a sip. What about the bodyguard? How’s he been doing?” 

 

Rey froze with her lips around the slushy’s straw. The bodyguard. 

 

Every time he was around - which was constantly because he was Poe’s security - she found herself anxious and jumpy. Her epiphany the week before that she found him attractive (which she hated admitting to herself) left her unsure how to act with him. 

 

One thing she was sure of: despite how hot he might be, she definitely hated him. 

 

“Rey?” Rose sounded concerned. 

 

“Fine. He’s fine.” Rey grimaced at the squeak in her voice. “I mean, he’s a got a good bod- IS a good bodyguard!” 

 

Oh that was bad. Where the hell had that come from?

 

Rey dared a glance at Rose and winced again at her expression. 

 

“O-okay.” Rose nodded slowly. “So we need to talk later…”

 

“Yeah, I thought you might say that.” Rey sighed and slurped loudly on the slushy.

 

But she was prevented from fully enjoying her borrowed beverage because at that moment the tall, dark, and annoying subject of their conversation walked up with Finn. 

 

“Hello, ladies!” Finn greeted with a grin. He wrapped an arm around Rose and pressed a kiss to her temple. Rey rolled her eyes but with a smile. Sometimes Finn and Rose had a little too much PDA for Rey’s personal comfort level but she was never truly annoyed. They loved each other and it was lovely to see them both so happy. 

 

“Hey, babe.” Rose leaned into Finn’s embrace. She shot a glance at Rey before greeting Matt, a little too cheerfully in Rey’s opinion. “Hi, Matt. How are you today?”

 

Rey didn’t look at the man. She told herself she didn’t want to, that she didn’t need to. 

 

“I’m well, Ms. Tico, thank you for asking. How are you?” 

 

_Damn it his voice is ridiculous._

 

But even so it wasn’t enough for her to look at him. Rey kept her eyes locked on the soundstage, watching Poe straighten out his shirt for the millionth time. He did not like wearing wrinkled clothing, even in character. 

 

“Yeah, I’m good.” Rey could hear Rose’s smile. “Y’know, you don’t have to be so formal with us. You can call and Rey and I by our first names.”

 

“Ah.” There was a hesitancy to Matt’s voice Rey was surprised to hear. The man usually oozed arrogant confidence. “Thank you… Rose. But I think Ms. Niima should speak for herself in that regard.”

 

Rey jumped when Rose’s elbow nudged her ribcage. “I don’t care. Go ahead.” She tried to sound casual, airy. 

 

Matt hummed low in his throat, a noise Rey didn’t think should be legal. “Then I will… Rey.”

 

The way he said it was soft and low - Rey would have thought it was almost sensual if she wasn’t absolutely sure it couldn’t be. 

 

She started to turn before she could stop herself. He immediately locked eyes with her, like he had been waiting for the opportunity to do exactly that since walking up. 

 

Gentle. That was the first word that came to mind. He looked at her gently but she couldn’t break away. She didn’t feel trapped but she didn’t like it either - the honesty on his face just made her more suspicious. No one was that open. Except maybe Finn. She narrowed her eyes at him before turning back to the soundstage for Poe’s second scene. 

 

She didn’t trust Matt as far as she could throw his giant, incredibly built body, and promised herself to watch him closely. There was something off with him - who puts a stink bomb in a person’s room? 

 

Rey wanted no part ofwhatever was going on behind that strangely beautiful face. She was going to remain strictly professional… or avoid him at all cost. 

 

****

 

Matt offered to drive Rose and Rey home at the end of the day. Rey protested, claiming that he needed to watch Poe, but the git movie star was far too ready to be rid of Matt even for a second and encouraged him to go. Finn would drove Poe home instead, her irritating boss claimed, then off he ran, tugging Finn with him. 

 

So they took Rose’s Saturn, the car she’d had since college. It was still running only because Rey had a gift for fixing cars. She’d developed the talent back in England and had taken up a job in her uncle’s mechanic shop when she migrated to the U.S. to live with him. 

 

Rey’s ability to fix cars had served Rose’s old jalopy well, but it was getting hard for Rey to keep applying fixes on a vehicle that was begging to be retired. But Rose refused to get rid of it. Said it had brought her luck. She called it Porg for some reason that she’d never explained. 

 

When they arrived at Rey and Rose’s apartment, Rey was the first to get out. She didn’t wait for Matt to open the car’s back door (she had sat in the back to be able to watch him). When Rose asked how he was going to get home, he said he’d walk. 

 

_Just call an Uber who are you trying to impress?_ Rey thought viciously. _It’s like five miles back the way we came._

 

He was particularly attentive to them before he left, asking if they needed anything or wanted to be picked up the next day. Rey insisted she and Rose were fine and tugged her friend into their building. She didn’t look back. 

 

****

 

Rose suggested they crack open a bottle of wine, order a pizza, and relax. Rey, desiring very much to distract herself from her 6’2” problem, enthusiastically agreed. 

 

When their pizza arrived, the pair turned on some crap reality show, and commenced roasting the cast members with a drinking game. 

 

A bottle and a half later Rey finally let her guard down. The episode they were watching had a romantic storyline and was perfect because in her mood she needed to make fun stupid people making love more complicated than it needed to be. It was convoluted and ridiculous in that usual stupid reality show way. One of the guys was super hot and one of the girls liked him a lot but he was a major douche. Somehow it became about forbidden love; Rey wasn’t sure how.

 

Rose started complaining about it - launching into a full on TED Talk about how women are portrayed on supposedly unscripted reality shows. Rey nodded sagely along to her rant, sipping more wine.

 

“So, hey,” Rose poked Rey’s leg with her foot. They were laying on the couch together, facing each other. “Speaking of ridiculous attraction, what was that you said earlier about Matt?”

 

Rey hummed a moment, collecting her tipsy thoughts before she answered. “Y’know that episode of FRIENDS when Rachel starts dating Fabio or whatever?”

 

“Yeah. What is it about that guy? I don’t think he’s attractive at all.” Rose emphasized the last two words with a firm shake of her head. 

 

Rey shrugged. “I don’t know, but when Rachel says ‘he’s so pretty I wanna cry’?”

 

“Mhm.”

 

“Matt.” Rey bowed her head, like she was shamed to admit aloud. If she were sober, she would be.

 

Rose’s eyes widened. “NO.”

 

Rey nodded placidly. “Yup.”

 

“Rey!” Rose giggled and leaned forward, putting a hand on Rey’s knee. “No, that’s sooo bad.” She hiccuped. 

 

“I know!” Rey threw her head back and groaned in frustration. “And I hate him! It wouldn’t be so bad if he wasn’t such a _dick_ \- plus I don’t trust him. He’s. Weird.” She pounded her thigh with a fist at each word.

 

There was silence for a moment while the two of them finished off their glasses of wine. 

 

“I bet he has a big one.” Rose slurred with a wicked grin as she poured herself another glass. 

 

If the wine hadn’t been enough to warm Rey’s cheeks Rose had certainly finished the job because Rey was on fire. “Rose Tico!”

 

“What?” Rose frowned defensively. “It’s not like you haven’t thought about it. Evidently,” Rose added in a mocking tone, “you _like like_ him.”

 

“I do not! I think he’s hot. There’s a distinct difference.” Rey sniffed. “I haven’t exactly thought about his… his… you know.”

 

“Just say penis like a grown up.”

 

Rey slapped Rose’s foot lightly. “Shut up!”

 

“Alright.” Rose grabbed the bottle of wine and scooted off the couch. “But I’m going to bed, where I am most likely going to drunk text my cute boyfriend this entire conversation. Nighty night!” With that she frolicked off to her room, giving Rey one last wink before exited the living room.

 

Rey buried her face in the couch with a loud whine.

 

Even when that man wasn’t around he was a giant pain in the ass. 

 

* * *

 

Rose did not text Finn. 

 

Her failure earlier to learn anything from Matt’s phone bothered her even more now that Rey had expressed feelings - well, at least physical attraction - for him. 

 

Rose pulled her laptop out and decided to do some digging. Buzzed or not. 

 

If there was the slightest possibility her best friend was going to be involved with this guy, Rose needed to know everything about him. 

 

Everything.


	6. Chapter 6

 

In Agent K's line of work he’d had to do his fair share of seduction. It was an art and his success rate was admirable, envied even among his colleagues. He was as deft at manipulating love as he was handling a knife.

 

Some women had been more difficult challenges than others, but all had eventually succumbed. 

 

Niima, however, was proving to be a problem. 

 

He had no idea what she wanted. When he thought he was successful she shut down and walked away. He noted his observations in a journal, a habit formed in the Air Force that had carried over to his covert life and was particularly useful in cases such as this when he needed to map behavioral differences on a day to day basis.

 

_Niima seduction, Day 2:_

_Stood next to Niima while Dameron filmed. Attempt at flirtation. She stepped away. Came on too strong? Will reduce effort._

 

_Niima seduction, Day 3:_

_Stood beside Niima again. Attempted regular conversation. She walked away. Curious._

 

_Niima seduction, Day 4:_

_Niima witnessed me drag Dameron out of bed. She berated me heavily at the daily entourage meeting she leads every morning. Expect significant delay in progress._

_Have noticed that Niima doesn’t have her own coffee in the morning, usually takes Tico’s. Will investigate._

_UPDATE: Stormman informed me that Niima does not actually like coffee - prefers tea. But she doesn’t have time to make it “properly”. Will find out how she likes it._

 

_Niima seduction, Day 5:_

_Brought Niima tea this morning. She was suspicious; did not take it. I left it on Dameron’s counter before the meeting. It was in the trash when I returned._

_Argued with Niima about Dameron’s schedule at the daily conference. She shouted. I shouted back. Will need to devise better strategy for our interactions._

 

_Niima seduction, Day 6:_

_Bought tea for Niima again. She did not take it. Didn’t acknowledge me. I surmised she was still angry about our argument yesterday. I put the tea on the counter and pushed it toward her - peace offering. Niima looked at the cup and subsequently swat it - like a fucking cat - into the trash. Then she walked out of the kitchen. She will not have a full conversation with me or look me straight in the eye. Lando said I needed to “sweet talk” more. I told him to fuck off._

_This project is impossible. She’s impossible._

 

On the seventh day K was ready to give up and find some other way to investigate Tico. Usually at the end of the first week of a seduction he had at least kissed the target. Niima wouldn’t even take a cup of tea from him. 

 

The day started like the others. He bought her tea and she refused it. He left it on the counter where she was sure to find it. It was in the trash when he came back from the daily entourage meeting. He glared at the trashcan angrily, the thought going through his mind that it wouldn’t take much to chuck it through the kitchen’s french doors, until it was time to leave. He followed the group sullenly in his car as they all traipsed off to where Dameron was filming that day. Where, because he was a glutton for punishment, K would try to make nice with Niima but inevitably receive nothing but dead air in return.

 

They were on location in some relatively uninhabited California hills so she had plenty of space in which to get away from him and made good use of it. He didn't see her for hours after they arrived, lost in the bustle as the crew organized. The scene Dameron was filming was a car chase and there were a lot of trailers, cars, stunt people, mechanics, and anything and everything else a scene like that needed set up in a two acre dirt lot just off the main road. 

 

Agent K took up a position leaning against a trailer and watched the mechanics check the stunt vehicles while he brainstormed ways to fix things with Niima. As he glowered at the car Dameron was supposed to use - feeling more than a little resentful at the movie star for hiring such a stubborn woman as his manager - a gangly man with fire-red hair crawled under it. 

 

While not wholly unusual considering the circumstances, it was strange because K had seen another mechanic check under the car just minutes before. He narrowed his eyes and was about to stride over there to investigate when a loud yowl from Dameron floated through the air in his direction. It was the first time the star had called for Matt Radario. 

 

K stopped in his tracks and glanced back with an irritated glare to see Dameron waving him over. K swept his gaze between the car and Dameron, determining what to do - his instincts were screaming at him to check the vehicle but Dameron was making such a noise that K decided to about face and shut the man up at whatever cost. The car was most likely fine. Studios often did triple checks on equipment. 

 

As he made his way over to Dameron he saw Niima speaking with him. She quieted as K approached, eyes flicking over him briefly before she stomped away. He had noticed the look before, had even thought it was one of attraction, but then she would turn away just as she had done, belying his suspicion. 

 

_Whatever,_ he thought bitterly. For some reason beyond professional frustration the idea she was not attracted to him was disappointing. 

 

“Finally!” Dameron raised his arms in mock praise. 

 

“What do you want?” K snapped, far too irritated to veneer his frustration with politeness. Dameron scowled at him. 

 

“Don’t yell at me.” The star retorted. “I need you to go get my script. I left it in my trailer.” 

 

K stared blankly at the man for a second, forgetting his mood at the unbelievable request. “Where’s Stormman?” He managed to ask. 

 

“Finn’s getting me coffee. I need you…” Poe spoke in a slow, condescending way that had K fisting his hands to keep himself from fully losing his temper. “I need you to go to my trailer and get my script.” 

 

K was about to argue that being a gofer wasn’t in his job description when Niima returned, an irritated expression on her face at, he could only assume, his continued presence. Maybe if he played nice with Dameron it would help win her over. 

 

The agent relaxed and let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “Yes, sir. I’ll go get your script.” He locked eyes with Rey before he left but her eyes darted away. 

 

She either was very attracted to him or found him repulsive. 

 

* * *

 

When she was sure Matt had turned, Rey lifted her gaze to watch the giant man walk away, that lumbering gait moving him swiftly to Poe’s trailer on the other side of the lot. The way he had looked at her was burned into her brain like a brand.

 

_Damn the man._ Why did he have such an effect on her?

 

And why did he keep getting her tea? She couldn’t decide if his efforts were supposed to appease her or lull her into a false sense of security. Maybe that was a bit conspiratorial but she still couldn’t shake that there was something off with Matt

 

What was more irritating was that she always wanted to kiss him after they argued. She had to keep reminding herself it was just a physical reaction. He was hot, she liked what she saw, but there was nothing more than that and she could control herself. 

 

“Huh.” Rey was drawn out of her thoughts by Poe and glanced over to see him rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “I didn’t think he’d actually do it.”

 

She rolled her eyes. “So you just want to start trouble.” She didn’t know why she expected anything else. 

 

“It’s not like he doesn’t deserve it.” Poe huffed, slinging an arm over Rey’s shoulders and guiding her back to the cameras. She walked with him willingly and hummed. 

 

“He does deserve it, but maybe you could wait until you’re at home to mess with him?” She suggested plaintively. “I can’t have the producers thinking you’re more of a drama whore than they already know you are.” 

 

At first Poe looked offended but then he laughed. “Fine. I’ll do it for you.” 

 

“And the money.” Rey added wryly. 

 

“Baby, I’m all about that cash.” Poe removed his arm and walked backwards, rubbing his fingers together. 

 

It was Rey’s turn to laugh. “Go film something!” She shooed him away and he saluted before jogging over to his vehicle for the scene. It was going to be one continuous shot, a somewhat ambitious undertaking for their film. The empty mountain road they were on had fifteen miles of blocked off for their venture. Poe would be driving the entire time. 

 

Rey didn’t like it but Poe always did his own stunts. He was definitely qualified (training as an Air Force pilot took care of that along with years as stunt man himself) but it was still risky, especially as his popularity and demand grew. Her fear wasn’t just that of a manager - she couldn’t bare to see him hurt as her friend. Not after what happened five years before. 

 

On a movie set eerily similar to the one they were filming now, before he had fully risen to stardom, Poe had nearly been killed in a terrible car accident. Someone hadn’t done their job and the brakes had gone out, leaving Poe with little recourse but to crash the car to stop it. He had been in the hospital for weeks, lucky to escape with his life and a permanent scar on his back. The accident was partially why Rey was such zealous manager. She needed to ensure nothing like that happened again. 

 

Even so, after the accident she never watched his more dangerous action scenes, preferring to wait for the premiere when she could have him beside her safe and sound in a theater. 

 

While Poe jumped into his car Rey joined Rose who was standing next to the monitors connected to the camera car. They would be able to watch the filming in real time, although Rey would turn away once it actually began. 

 

“Hey,” Rose greeted. “He’s an eager beaver today.” 

 

“You know how he is with stunts.” Rey chewed her bottom lip. A tingling on the back of her neck, like that prickling one gets if a limb goes to sleep, made her more nervous than usual. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

 

Rose gave her a sympathetic look. She had just moved in with Rey and started her job at Resistance Publicity at the time of Poe’s accident. “Poe will be fine. He’s experienced and all the safety precautions are in place. Try not worry.”

 

Telling Rey not to worry was like telling her not to breathe and Rose knew it if the helpless expression she gave Rey was any indication. The director yelled action and Rey immediately turned her back to the monitors. She could still hear everything; she could handle - needed to handle - that much. Finn joined them after a few minutes to watch, newly returned from his coffee run. He took up position on the other side of Rey, so that she was sandwiched between her friends. He was close enough that his arm bumped against Rey’s. A silent show of support.

 

Small moments like that reminded Rey how good her friends were, how much they meant to her. 

 

Everything went smoothly. Poe was an expert driver and worked well with the director and the stunt crew. When she heard “cut” called twenty minutes later Rey let out a sigh and turned around. Finn’s hand on her back 

 

But her relief was short-lived. 

 

“I can’t stop the car.” 

 

California was not cold in the winter but at that moment Rey was frozen. She heardRose gasp beside her.

 

“The brakes aren’t working.” Poe sounded surprisingly calm but Rey swore she felt part of herself die and the accident from five years before replayed itself in her head. 

 

The stunt coordinator, Hondo Ohnaka, a wiry man with dreadlocks and an unsavory personality (Rey had the passing thought once he would make a great pirate), grabbed a radio. 

 

“Use the emergency brake.” He barked. 

 

Rey couldn’t believe Poe had the audacity to huff in annoyance. “That was the first thing I tried. It’s not working either.”

 

Hondo cursed and Rey covered her mouth with her hand. She felt Rose grab her other hand tightly and was grateful for the anchor. Finn had stepped up beside Hondo and was listening with a grim expression to their conversation. 

 

The crew started yelling at once, a cacophony of panic which Hondo tried and failed to control. He gave up and spoke to Poe again. Rey strained to hear over the noise. 

 

“I’m going to control the drift as much as I can,” Poe was saying. “But I’m going downhill and don’t have the space to let her roll it out.”

 

“Someone get out there!” Someone yelled. 

 

“Get the police!”Another cried. 

 

“Would everybody just shut up?” Hondo shouted. 

 

“What’s going on?” Rey heard Matt’s baritone over everyone else and the screaming panic in her head like she was specially tuned to his frequency. She turned and he was standing behind her, Poe’s script in his hand. He looked at her then at the monitors and all the people rushing about, then back to her. Sirens wailed past them as the emergency vehicles raced to Poe’s location. 

 

“Poe can’t stop his car.” Her voice cracked, throat dry. She had no idea how she was speaking at all. “He’s going to crash.”

 

Matt immediately dropped the script and ran to the lot where the other vehicles for the shoot were parked, suit jacket flying in the wind. Rey, at first surprised, followed him a split second later, listening to some insane instinct. He was already in one of the cars and she skidded around the front to the passenger’s side to jump in. 

 

“What are you doing?” He looked at her with eyes wide in disbelief as she took her seat. “Get out!” He reached across her to open the door she had just slammed shut but Rey grabbed his arm with both hands, fingers gripping his forearm tightly, knuckles white. His face was inches from hers when he turned to face her, expression deadly. Her entire body was shaking, adrenaline and fear mixing a lethal potion in her body, but not diluting her determination. 

 

“I’m going.” She growled. “Drive.”

 

Matt’s face twitched, his chest heaved. Rey couldn’t be sure but she thought there was genuine concern in his eyes and, of all things, respect. 

 

“Drive!” She repeated angrily. They didn’t have time to argue. 

 

With a snarl of his own Matt pressed forward and Rey prepared to protest again, but, instead of opening the door like Rey thought he was going to, he pulled the seatbelt across her body and snapped it into place.

 

“Hold on.” He ordered as he retreated back into his seat. In one swift movement he put the car in gear and sped off, tailspinning slightly as he floored the gas and followed the emergency vehicles. 

 

Rey was pressed into her seat by gravity. Whoever Matt was, he knew how to handle a car, just as well as Poe. 

 

She only hoped that his skills were enough to get them to Poe before it was too late. 

 

* * *

 

Hux moved like a shark through the waves of people rushing around him. He kept his eye on his target, who had stayed near the monitors to watch the chaos he had created unfold. The distraction had worked, no one was paying attention to anything or anyone else; the bodyguard and the manager had raced to the studio vehicles, intent on saving their star. He couldn’t have asked for a more perfect outcome. 

 

He took up position just behind Tico, arms ready to grab her, needle prepped in his hand, but just before he made his move the boyfriend stepped into his way.

 

“They’re going to be alright, babe.” He said. “Poe will be fine and Rey’s with Matt.” 

 

“If anything happens, Finn…”

 

“Shhh!” The boyfriend wrapped his arms around Tico and Hux cursed under his breath. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.” 

 

Others began to pour back into the area and Hux lost visual of his target.

 

His plan was shot to hell. At least if Dameron died that was one less person to get in the way.

 

Hux made a swift exit to regroup.

 

He would need another plan.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter contains a car accident and injuries as a result. Nothing serious, but I wanted to take precautions should anyone be sensitive to that topic.
> 
> If you're not comfortable then please skip to the first scene break, indicated by this: ****. Or, the sentence which starts with "At the hospital..."
> 
> Also, I wrote this with just my limited knowledge of cars and how they would operate in cases such as this so any and all mistakes are mine and I apologize for anything that defies physics.

 

They were going faster than Rey thought a car had any right to go; damn she hated the death traps. She could barely breathe, her back pressed into the seat, her heart in her throat. When she glanced at Matt she could only gape at how effortlessly he manipulated the vehicle, turning the wheel and edging the gas and brake pedals expertly. It was fast, fighting against the G-forces, but smooth. He maneuvered the car around the emergency vehicles and sped past them with an expertise Rey had only seen in the very best of stunt actors. 

 

The scenery whipped by in dizzying flashes, the mountainous hills blurring into a sickly brown. Rey pressed her lips together and closed her eyes to prevent herself from getting nauseous. The engine roared as Matt once again floored the gas pedal, the road free from other vehicles so he could gather speed to catch Poe. Apparently their speed before was only a fraction of what the car could do. No matter how fast Matt went Poe was still in a runaway vehicle. The issue wasn’t _if_ they could catch up - it was _how_ they were going to stop him.

 

When she opened her eyes Poe’s car was in front of them. Still moving. Not crashed. Relief poured into her veins and she almost let herself cry but the ordeal wasn’t over. Poe was doing his best to keep it under control but the road they were on was an elevated plane and steadily going downhill. It was impossible for him to bring the car to a rolling stop. 

 

Matt was keeping their car a few feet away. Rey turned to ask why and saw it on his face - he was concentrating, eyes darting from the dashboard to Poe’s bumper. Planning. 

 

“How are we going to stop him?” Rey asked instead, though her voice trembled. She told herself it was the car’s movement and not terror. 

 

Matt glanced at her but didn’t reply. With what she thought was a growl he pressed the gas and flew past Poe’s vehicle. Rey was thrust back against her seat but caught Poe’s shocked look as they sped past. He was going to be so mad at her when this was over. If any of them survived. 

 

When Matt had their car at what Rey guessed was three car-lengths beyond Poe’s he put it into reverse and looked behind them, one hand braced against the back of her seat as he maneuvered them backwards up the road, handling the turns masterfully.

 

Rey was quick on her feet; she could read a situation like a book and she did not like where this was heading. Poe’s car was only a hundred feet behind them.

 

“Uh, Matt…”

 

“Brace yourself.” He snapped and she instantly obeyed. 

 

Matt faced forward, eyes on the rearview mirror, and pressed his foot on the gas, giving them speed to match Poe’s. Rey squeezed her eyes closed just as Poe’s vehicle hit theirs with a resounding crunch. The impact reverberated through the body of their car and shook the passengers. Rey felt herself thrown forward and was surprised to find when she opened her eyes that a long arm was thrown out in front of her, pushing her back into the seat. Matt spared a cursory glance at her before returning his attention to their predicament. 

 

Rey too looked behind them and saw Poe. If they had been stopped he could have crawled over his car’s hood to their trunk. But they weren’t stopped. In fact, they were very much still moving, despite Matt holding his foot against the brake of their car. Poe’s vehicle was going too fast, was too heavy to be stopped that way. Frustrated, Rey turned around but the question she had ready for Matt melted on her tongue. What lay before them frightened her into silence. More accurately, what _didn’t._

 

The road ended. It was nothing but dirt and a steep drop off barricaded by giant cement blocks; in front of those was some wooden orange and white fencing and a big flashing warning sign which read “NO EXIT. ROAD ENDS”. 

 

They were going to crash into that. They were going to fly off the side of a mountain. Rey's breathing became more difficult as she began to panic. 

 

“Matt!” 

 

“I see it.”

 

“We’re not stopping!”

 

“I know!” He growled. 

 

The car’s rhythm changed and Rey felt it move forward. He was _purposely_ driving toward the edge now. 

 

Rey gripped her seat so tight it hurt. 

 

_He’s insane._ _This is insane. We’re gonna die._

 

“What are you doing? Stop!” She exclaimed angrily; she was _not_ going to die like this. 

 

Matt made no reply but continued to speed forward, giving them distance from Poe’s car. At the last second, before hitting the orange and white fencing, he switched gears, slammed the brakes, locked the parking brake, at the same time spinning the steering wheel so that the car swung around, the driver's side facing Poe’s oncoming vehicle. Rey noticed that somehow Matt had avoided knocking over any of the fences. 

 

He unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to Rey, rising slightly in his seat. An odd sensation overcame her, as if time slowed, like she’d seen happen in Poe’s movies. She saw his face, his determined expression, felt his hand against her back, palm pressed firmly between shoulder blades. Then life resumed its normal speed. He pushed her down and pressed her into the dividing console, nearly smothering her as he covered her with his body. Rey heard a mechanical roar and a second later Poe’s car hit theirs, the impact harder than the forced rear-ending Matt had tried. The other car pushed them through the orange and white fencing and into one of the cement blocks.

 

Rey felt it on her side, her teeth clattering together as the cement made contact with their car, making the metal groan and bend. The windows shattered and showered them in glass. Rey shrieked, instinctively covering her face even though Matt’s body shielded her from most of the volley. 

 

Then they started to slide. 

 

Poe’s vehicle was pushing them toward the ledge. 

 

Matt moved above her and she felt the car stutter as he slammed his foot against the brake. His body never lifted from hers, his torso still curved over her protectively as he vainly attempted to stop the movement. 

 

Both car engines thundered around them, protesting the action; the wheels on Poe’s car spun frantically, looking for purchase as they kicked up rocks and dirt. A cloud of dust surrounded them. Rey choked on the dirt and gas which filled her lungs. 

 

She didn’t know how long they slid - it felt like eternity - but when it finally stopped she allowed herself a sob in relief. The engines dulled to a low, broken purr. It was over. 

 

Matt slowly rose. Rey felt one of his hands on her back then both gripped her shoulders gently to support her as she lifted herself up, body shaking, from her prone position. She could have sworn they were still moving.

 

“Are you alright?” Matt’s eyes roved over her face and body, checking for injuries. One hand cupped her chin and tilt her face this way and that, firmly but not roughly. The touch verged on possessive, like a worried lover. In the back of her adrenaline drunk mind Rey had the vague idea she liked it. 

 

The circumstances were urgent, another distant part of her argued; people had strange reactions in emergencies.

 

Nevertheless, she found herself enthralled watching his eyes as they looked her over, the brown somehow deeper in their concern. When they circled back to her face they stopped their examination and locked onto her gaze. Rey saw his plush lips part slightly. Thatadrenaline screaming through her body ordered her to find out how soft his lips were exactly but that impulse woke her more rational senses. 

 

“I’m fine.” She gasped. “I’m fine.” She pulled her face from his hold and scrambled to release her seatbelt, narrowing her mind to a single purpose. “Poe. I have to check on Poe.” The seatbelt wouldn’t give - it was stuck, pinned by the car’s now warped frame. She yanked at it desperately, needing to get out, needing open air. 

 

Movement on her left alerted her to Matt reaching over, a knife the size of Seattle in his right hand. One second later her seatbelt was cut in two and she gasped in relief before getting a good look at the tool he had used.

 

“Where the fuck do you keep _that_?” She gawked, forgetting everything else in the face of the big-ass knife he held. 

 

“Never mind. Go check on Dameron.” He used the butt of the knife to knock out the jagged remains of the windshield so she could climb through. Once a big enough opening was cleared Rey did exactly that, the knifeforgotten in her fervor to get out of the death-trap car and reach her friend. 

 

The hood popped and groaned under her as she clambered over it; a quick glance to her right let her know exactly how close they had come to falling over the side of the cliff. When her feet hit the ground her legs wobbled and she stumbled, the still earth a welcome but jolting change from the break-neck speeds she had experienced. Nonetheless, Rey managed to keep her balance enough to reach Poe’s side. His car was smoking from under the hood, which was beyond repair, and through the wheel-wells. Glass covered the leather interior and he was folded over the steering wheel, face turned toward the driver’s side window. Blood trickled from his forehead and there were little bits of the windshield peppered all over his face. 

 

Rey’s fingers trembled as she reached in and pressed her fingers to his neck, praying for a pulse. The strong beat that met her fingertips nearly brought her to her knees in relief. He was fine. He was alive. His face was a little cut up and he must have sustained some other injuries but he was alive. 

 

Rey slumped against the car, exhausted as the adrenaline leeched from her body. A pained grunt from the other vehicle reminded her she wasn’t alone. Matt was climbing out of the windshield, favoring his left side. As she watched he slipped, hitting the car on that side, cursing and grimacing in pain as slid heavily to the ground. 

 

“Matt!” Rey hurried to his side, arms automatically reaching out and supporting him at the waist before he hit the dirt. She helped him lean against their car. Sirens echoed along the road, the emergency vehicles finally catching up to their quarry. She began to press against Matt’s side with her hands, searching for the injured area. “Are you alright?” She asked. 

 

“Fine.” He mumbled, shrugging away from her searching fingers. “I’m fine. How’s he?” he jerked his chin toward Poe. Rey didn’t stop her examination as she answered despite Matt’s efforts get away from her. 

 

“He’s unconscious, has some scratches Kaydel will have to deal with, but I don’t think he’s badly hurt.” Matt inhaled sharply when her fingers touched his ribcage. “You on the other hand…”

 

“I’m. Fine.” Matt insisted, a hand reaching down and enveloping her own. Rey looked up at him with a glare. His brown eyes were crinkled in amusement. “I’ve had worse.”

 

Before she had the chance to ask how he’s had worse the ambulance arrived and the paramedics swiftly took over. 

 

****

 

At the hospital Rey was quickly dismissed with a few cuts and scratches and a couple of bruises from the two impacts. When she was released she made a beeline for the section where Poe and Matt had been taken, where the more serious injuries were tended. After stopping at the front desk she found out Poe was still being examined. The nurse pointed to a small waiting area and told her she could wait for the doctor there. 

 

Rey thanked her and headed for a seat against the wall, ready to collapse and sleep for a decade, when she saw an open door and a familiar tall body inside, sitting on the bed. 

 

Matt’s dusty shirt and jacket were off, lying across the foot of the bed. He was sitting on the edge, nodding along to whatever the doctor standing to the side was saying. Rey tilted her head and stepped closer. His body wasn’t overly muscled but he obviously took good care of himself. Her eyes followed his long, powerful arms (which had never seen before since he was always wearing a suit coat) up to his broad shoulders and panned down his thick chest. The man was a veritable tank. 

 

Rey wasn’t entirely sure what to do with this information but tucked it into the more debased part of her brain. 

 

After ogling him shamelessly for an embarrassing amount of time, Rey forced herself to pay attention to something, anything, else, so she dragged her eyes up to his face. 

 

The cuts on his face were minor, the same as hers. He managed to escape the worst of it, then. But then he turned to reach for his shirt and she could see a giant, ugly bruise on his abdomen. As she took another step toward the room other injuries jumped out. Rey was shocked to see so many. She hadn’t thought he had been hurt so badly. 

 

“Rey?” 

 

She nearly jumped out of her skin when Matt said her name and blushed furiously at being caught leering at him. The doctor, an older gentleman with humorous brown eyes and a very colorful shirt under his white coat, turned a broad smile to her. He looked at Matt, winked, and left. Rey thought it odd but Matt’s mumbled curse in response was even stranger. She supposed he was just shaken from the accident. 

 

“Uh, hello.” Rey gave a little wave and a smile but immediately put her hand down. That was too weird. “Um, how are you?” She tried again, stepping fully into the room. 

 

Matt rolled his massive shoulders and Rey could see even more scars highlighted against his pale skin. 

 

“I’ll be alright. Just some bruised ribs and a few cuts. You were released already.” It wasn’t a question and for a brief moment she wondered how he knew but then realized it was obvious since she was standing there in front of him like an awkward teenager. 

 

“Yeah.” She licked her lips and took another step forward, closer to the bed. “Matt, I…” Rey stopped, the answer to what was bothering her about his injuries dawning on her. 

 

The scars were light, faded, like they had been there a long time. They stood out like crevasses in a glacier. There covered his body in various shapes and sizes. 

 

Too many to count.

 

“Rey?” Matt urged her, tilting his head to catch her attention as he pulled his shirt back on. “Are you okay?”

 

She focused on his face, heart pounding. “I’m fine.” She replied breathlessly. Rey told herself to calm down, that all those scars must have a simple explanation. 

 

He made to stand but Rey put a hand on his shoulder to stop him, but was forced to step between his legs to do so. He settled down again, looking at her in surprise. “Wait. Um, I wanted to say… to say thank you.” She stared at her hand on his shoulder instead of his face. It was easier to concentrate with him partially clothed. He hadn’t buttoned his shirt but it was enough. “For saving Poe.” 

 

She was too close. She could feel his breath on her neck as he breathed. 

 

Matt was perfectly still beneath her hand, as if afraid he would spook her if he moved. It was kind of… sweet. 

 

“You’re welcome.” He murmured, voice a gentle, soothing rumble. His hands remained palms down on the bed, but Rey felt herself sway closer, her tired body searching for an anchor. 

 

An announcement blared loudly overhead and Rey ripped her hand away then took two giant steps back, well away from Matt. She twisted around and made her escape. She heard herself screech something about checking on Poe before hurrying down the hallway, far away from Matt’s terrifyingly magnetic pull. 

 

When she had gone some distance she groaned and slumped against a wall. 

 

“That could have gone better.” She muttered.

 

Rey closed her eyes with a heavy sigh, ordering herself to think of something else other than the hot bodyguard, but her mind betrayed her and showed her Matt’s impressive chest instead. 

 

_Not fair._ She whined to herself. But even as she cursed her traitorous brain she recalled all those scars. 

 

There were too many for one man to have sustained in thirty years. He might have been a soldier, but even Poe, who had seen his share of combat, didn’t have that many and his only noticeable one was from the car accident years ago.

 

The mystery surrounding Matt just grew deeper and deeper. Rey wasn’t sure how far down that rabbit hole she was willing to go. 

 

_Not one foot, that’s how far._ She would treat him with respect and be friendly; he had earned that. But there was no way she was going to entertain anymore unholy thoughts about him. There was an edge of danger to him that was attractive for some inexplicable reason but he was definitely a bad idea. 

 

But she was smarter than that. 

 

* * *

 

A week later Dameron was released from the hospital and allowed to return to home. It was a miracle, they said, he hadn’t been seriously injured beyond a slight concussion, a sprained wrist, and the minor scratches from the broken windshield. The doctors and studio alike praised Agent K’s swift - though unorthodox and incredibly dangerous - actions, which in all likelihood saved Dameron’s life. 

 

The man himself was, K discovered, more humble than the agent had thought. 

 

The morning after Dameron’s release K arrived early at the star’s house as usual, a cup of tea in his hands for Rey - who would most likely throw it away again, and steeled himself for the daily fight with Dameron to get up. 

 

But when he walked in he heard noise coming from the living room, unusual for that time in the morning, and went to investigate. He was surprised to see everyone else there, surrounding a wide awake - though still in his pajamas - Dameron gesticulating wildly on his grey couch. K almost dropped the tea at the sight. Rey sat close beside her boss on the giant couch, talking with Rose who sat beside her.

 

It was the first time K had seen her since the hospital. He’d taken Dameron’s week of recuperation as an opportunity for a small ‘vacation’: a short excursion back to The Agency to report on the recent events. His own recovery had been swift; he was serious when he’d told Rey he’d had worse. 

 

The image of her between his legs in his hospital room came unbidden to his mind. His male ego had preened at the effect his proximity seemed to have on her; her cheeks flushed, pupils dilated, eyes roaming his body. So she _was_ attracted to him. Good. It would have been so easy to pull her into his arms - she was vulnerable. 

 

If he had only lifted his hands…

 

But another part of himself, the part which he usually locked away and ignored while on the job, had kept his hands planted. _She was vulnerable_. 

 

The last thing she needed was a smooth line or stolen kiss. For the first time since his rookie days K was struck with the fact that his target was a person. A live person with real feelings that he had to cruelly manipulate and probably hurt. 

 

Not right then. It could wait. So he had done nothing, acted calmly without an ulterior motive, let her do what she needed to do and thank him. 

 

Then she ran away and left him, her touch imprinted on his shoulder. 

 

She was laughing now.

 

_She has a nice laugh_. K’s lips threatened to lift in a smile at how gaily she was giggling to what must have been a hilarious joke. 

 

Dameron spotted him then and opened up his arms with a wide grin. “Matt!” K turned his head sharply toward the man; he had lingered too long on Rey. “Buddy! We were just talking about you!”

 

Finn, sitting on the floor arranging a script, jumped up and before K could react and leap out of the way, had wrapped his arms around him in a bear hug. 

 

“I knew you were a good one.” He said, voice thick with emotion. 

 

K froze. He, a ghost agent of the highest caliber, experienced in most forms of lethal hand-to-hand combat, gifted with lightning fast reflexes, was completely stunned by a _hug_. 

 

“It’s, uh, it’s no problem.” He pat Finn awkwardly on the back with his free hand and glanced around, eyes falling on Rey who was withholding a grin. She took mercy on him though because a second later she tapped Rose on the arm and pointed at Finn. 

 

“Rose, could you do something about that.”

 

“On it. Babe, the big guy doesn’t like that…” Rose walked up and gave K an apologetic smile before she slowly pulled Finn’s arms from around him. 

 

Finn’s hurt expression tugged guiltily on K’s conscience. “No, it’s fine.” He found himself saying then stopped abruptly with a confused, wide eyed look, mouth pressed together in a pout. 

 

It wasn’t fine. _Why did I say it was fine?_

 

“Actually, Poe has something to say to you.” Rey looked pointedly at the star, whose smile disappeared. “And he can’t do that if Finn is hanging off of you.”

 

Finn took the hint and willingly went back to the couch with Rose, though the sad puppy-dog expression stayed on his face. 

 

“You know it could wait-” Dameron began but was cut off when Rey jabbed him in the side with her elbow and he yelped. “Fine!” He blew out a breath as he stood. “I do have something to say.” He glanced at Rey, who nodded encouragingly. Poe approached K carefully and stopped only only a couple of feet from him. The agent flicked his eyes at Rey before fixing them back on the movie star, for some reason seeking assurance from her. 

 

This was getting weird. 

 

“What is it?” He prodded, raising his chin slightly, expecting some kind of joke or berating. Dameron’s expression was serious; not even a fraction of his usual arrogant smirk. The seriousness was slightly mitigated by the orange silk pajamas but K could look past that for a moment. As long as what the man had to say wasn’t absurd. 

 

“Thank you for saving my life.” 

 

K’s eye twitched, the only physical sign of his surprise. Again he looked at Rey. She was smiling.

 

Dameron was sincere. Not dramatic. This was strange. 

 

“Um,” it was K’s turn to clear his throat. He wasn’t used to gratitude or the attention it brought and he’d had multiple people say ‘thank you’ over the last week; just Rey saying it had been a record number. “You’re welcome.”

 

Dameron nodded once then made to go back to his seat, but stopped, turned, and leaned into Agent K’s space, a finger pointed up at him and eyes flashing angrily.

 

“But if you ever put Rey in danger like that again I will kill you and hide the body where no one can find it.”

 

K believed him. 

 

“Poe!” Rey exclaimed, jumping up from the couch and stomping over to the two men. “It was my idea!”

 

“I don’t care!” Dameron turned to her. “You can be an idiot all day long. He,” Dameron looked at K again, “knows better. He never should have let you in that car.”

 

K would have been more irritated at being scolded in such a way had he not agreed. He thought back to the moment in the car when he had shielded her body with his own; he hadn’t done it for the mission. He had wanted - _needed_ \- to protect her. That was a dangerous instinct to possess in his line of work and one that had plagued him ever since. 

 

Despite his mixed feelings he faced Dameron and said firmly: “I won’t.” Dameron narrowed his eyes, assessing. K wouldn’t purposely put Rey in any danger, if only to prevent himself from being distracted.

 

A second later the seriousness flashed out of Dameron’s eyes and he grinned. “Good.” He then gloatingly returned to his couch where he began to regale Rose and Finn again with the tale of his near-death experience on the mountain. 

 

K felt a tug on his shoulder and looked down to see an absolutely put out Rey, hazel eyes narrowed and mouth in an angry pout. 

 

It was adorable. Until she stepped up to him and poked him roughly in the chest.

 

“Ow!” K stepped back and rubbed at the injured area. When he took his shirt off later he was sure he was going to find a bruise there.

 

“I decide what happens to me. Not Poe, not you. Got it?” Rey said lowly, a warning. 

 

“I got it!”

 

Rey snorted, satisfied. “Good.” And then she moved on, to K’s amazement. She wasn’t one to dwell, he supposed. “Anyway, I actually wanted to apologize…”

 

K’s brows shot up but he quickly schooled his features into neutrality. “Oh?” 

 

She had apparently caught the look by the glare she flashed him but continued anyway. “Yes. I’m… I’m sorry for being, um, inhospitable to you, before.” She said, choosing her words carefully. “I know I already thanked you at the hospital but…” She took a deep breath. “You put your own neck out there for Poe without a second thought. That means a lot to me. You’ve proven you’re worth having around.” 

 

The honesty in her last remarks wiped the smug smirk off K’s face. He decided not to put on any tricks, that he wouldn’t attempt to flirt with her for a moment. He would be… himself. For one moment. 

 

“I would do it again.” _For you_. The unspoken sentiment had nothing to do with his mission and was all the more dangerous for it.

 

Her lips pulled up into a smile, a genuine smile meant only for him, and K was a struck with an unfamiliar feeling, like his heart had stopped for a second, and he swallowed thickly. He watched like he was far away as she reached forward, plucked the tea he had gotten for her from his hand, and took a sip. He couldn’t move, captivated. Rey hummed in pleasure and smacked her lips when she was done. It was the most sensual thing he had ever seen. He wondered if she had done it on purpose to get a reaction but sensed from her casual nod of approval that she hadn’t. 

 

_Oh, this is bad._

 

“Thanks for this.” She raised the cup and smiled again. “It’s just the way I like it.”

 

“You’re welcome.” He answered, his voice sounding far away. K blinked continuously as he watched her walk away, soft brown hair loosening from the bun she had looped it into, and announce the entourage’s daily meeting to a chorus of groans.

 

He lingered at the edge of the room, eyes on Rey, trailing her every move, relishing each moment her hazel eyes met his. Instead of the sharp focus he usually had on missions there was a blur, a fuzziness that only became clear when he concentrated on her. Was he sick? Concussed from the accident? Tired? Why was she affecting him like this? 

 

Whatever the cause, whatever the solution, for the first time in many years, Agent K was afraid. 


	8. Chapter 8

 

It was the worst case scenario: back in that red and black office with failed results. Not no result. _Failed_. Hux tried to keep his emotions in check. It would do no good to let Snoke see his fear. 

 

The withered man hadn’t said a word since Hux entered the room a few minutes before. He stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, blood red curtains drawn, looking out over the Los Angeles skyline, gold smoking jacket glinting in the afternoon sun. It was gauche but when you were as sinfully wealthy as Jonathon Snoke you could wear whatever the hell you wanted. 

 

“Tell me _why_ _you failed.”_ Hux nearly jumped at the sudden demand but launched into his report. When he was finished he was tempted to slump against the obsidian wall but forced himself to stand tall. No weakness. Snoke turned and appraised Hux, silent for a few moments. His face was hidden in shadow, his body blocking the sun’s rays like an eclipse. Any warmth in the room seeped out, leaving Hux chilled in his long coat. “Radario. What does he look like?” Snoke’s tone was low, faintly curious.

 

Hux wasn’t sure what the point to knowing what the bodyguard looked like was but obliged anyway. “As tall as me, built, dark hair to his shoulders, long nose; fucker has a weird face.” He finished viciously. Snoke’s thoughtful hum slowly turned into a malevolent chuckle, much to Hux’s surprise and terror. Laughter sounded unholy from that ruined mouth. 

 

“Very interesting. Very, very interesting.” Snoke sidled back to his desk and pressed a digital button on the high-tech glass top. That was new, Hux noted. He looked at Hux, eyes gleaming like a hungry shark. “You have much in common with Mr. Radario, Armitage.” 

 

Hux’s expression betrayed his confusion. Snoke rolled his eyes.

 

“Mr. _Radario,_ my dear boy,” Snoke’s tongue flicked out like a snake, “is a ghost agent. From our friends at The Agency. Goes by Agent K. I have had… dealings with him before.”

 

“The Agency.” Hux whispered, long-buried memories resurfacing and filling him with regret and shame. “What kind of dealings?” He narrowed his eyes sharply at his boss. 

 

“Unimportant at the moment.” Snoke waved a hand dismissively. “Suffice to say he and I have unfinished business. But, he’s here on a personal vendetta. That gives us an advantage.”

 

Before Hux could ask what kind of advantage the giant black doors to Snoke’s office swung open and a tall, pale woman with pitch black hair and eyes that reminded Hux of a black hole, strode into the room. She was dressed all in white, a shade that matched her skin tone but a stark contrast to her hair, the end result making her look like a wraith; inhuman. 

 

“Ah, Bazine.” Snoke stretched out a hand and the woman halted beside him, turning to face Hux. Lead weights filled his stomach; she was bad news. “Armitage. Meet Bazine. She’s your new… partner.” The woman made no movement except for a slight tilt of her head. 

 

Partner. Hux knew what that meant. 

 

“Sir,” he knew he sounded desperate but he couldn’t control himself. “I can do this. I almost had her-”

 

“Almost isn’t good enough.” Snoke snapped. “You have failed me twice now, Armitage. Bazine will ensure you don’t fail again. Or,” and this time Snoke smiled in a way that left bile in Hux’s mouth, “she’ll take care of that little thing you think I’ve forgotten about.”

 

Hux went cold, all feeling leaving his limbs. He looked at the woman and this time there was the faintest hint of a smile on her blood-red lips. He had no other choice but to accept her. 

 

Snoke peered at him closely. “Do we understand each other, Armitage?”

 

Hux met those cold eyes in defeat. “Yes sir.”

 

* * *

 

 

K was pleased with his progress where Rey was concerned. Ever since the car incident she had been warm, friendly; they’d had several long conversations. Over the week after Dameron’s release from the hospital and subsequent return to work, the rapport between them increased. They worked together well when it came to corralling Dameron. 

 

 

Of Dameron K could say that the situation had changed for the better as well. The movie star, while still his ostentatious self, was less vitriolic with K. Even amiable. 

 

More importantly, though K couldn’t figure why it was such an important marker, Rey hadn’t again refused the tea he bought her every morning. Not once. It became a ritual for him, as natural as tying his shoe.

 

He didn’t even notice that his journal had become a catalogue of things she liked. 

 

 

_Niima Seduction, Day 14_

She likes Earl Grey in the morning, no cream, only sugar. White teas after noon.

 

_Niima Seduction, Day 15_

Have noticed she likes to eat sub sandwiches but only with this weird stuff called Marmite. Catering at the studio only has them with mayo and very few local stores sell Marmite.

 

_Niima Seduction, Day 16_

Bought Rey a sandwich with Marmite from a shop run by a British couple near my warehouse. Experimented and also bought her imported candy. She was ecstatic. Will note for the future.

 

His plan had gotten back on track. He deemed it was time to take it to the next step: officially ask her out. 

 

Except that he couldn’t bring himself to. 

 

There was always some excuse: too many people around, Dameron was begging for attention, Rose and Finn had invited her out for a trivia night. K had come up a plethora of reasons why he hadn’t moved forward with the plan but none of them would satisfy his superiors. They didn’t even satisfy him.

 

He’d had lingering thoughts about her; about how her lips would feel against his, how easily she would fit against him, engulfed in his arms, shielded from the evil in the world.

 

He needed to refocus on his real purpose. He needed to find that ruthlessness that made him the best ghost The Agency had. 

 

But whenever he successfully struggled through the block, warm hazel eyes stopped him again. 

 

K heaved a sigh and launched himself out of the director’s chair he had claimed, tired of the loop he was stuck in. He strode through the crowds of studio employees toward the soundstage to check on his employer. Dameron was back on the same busy schedule, although the studio had pushed the filming back a month to accommodate the actor’s injuries. Habits fell back into place: While the others were at the soundstage working K positioned himself in a chair or against a wall with a clear view of his surroundings and his wards. The only change was that he was more aware, eyeing strangers more carefully, the way he should have been in the first place. He had slipped on the mountain and it had nearly cost Dameron and Rey their lives. It wouldn’t happen again. 

 

He hadn’t seen the ginger man since. When he had told Lando, his handler had told him the man must have been one of Snoke’s and to be careful. If Snoke didn’t already know K was on the scene then he soon would. 

 

A loud commotion on the soundstage brought K out of his thoughts and he quickened his steps. A group of people - his eyes went directly to Rey beside Poe - were standing in a circle watching Dameron and the stunt coordinator, Ohnaka, argue with each other. K muttered a curse under his breath and took up position a couple of feet behind Rey and Poe, crossing his arms as he listened and assessed the situation. 

 

“It wasn’t any of my engineers!” Ohnaka snarled. “It was driver error!”

 

K watched Poe’s expression turn deadly. “It wasn’t my fault. There was something wrong with the brakes.”

 

Ohnaka scoffed. “Just like the last time ‘wasn’t your fault’.” 

 

A heavy silence fell. Poe’s chest rose and fell in quick, agitated breaths, his jaw clenched in what K recognized was an attempt to retain control. Finn and Rose both raised their voices in protest but refrained from any further reaction. 

 

A certain manager didn’t have that same restraint. 

 

“You son of a bitch!” Rey lunged forward and K stumbled after her, arms wrapping around her waist just in time to prevent the punch she had intended for Ohnaka, and pulled her flush against him; her feet lifted off the ground for a second. Her fist whipped through empty air, a mere inch from making contact with Ohnaka’s jaw. She struggled against K but he only tightened his hold and retreated a step or two. 

 

“Calm down.” K murmured in her ear. She was shaking, rage coursing through her body, laser-focused on Ohnaka. She probably didn’t even register who was holding her back. He understood the feeling, more than she knew. “He’s not worth it.” 

 

“What’s wrong with her?” Ohnaka had stumbled back, eyes wide in a mixture of fear and anger. “Control your people, Dameron!”

 

Rose stepped forward, round cheeks flushed pink. “Control your mouth, Ohnaka! You can’t take the blame for anything so you place it on everybody else!”

 

Agent K kept his grip firm on Rey as the verbal sparring continued. She hadn’t stopped shaking and her breathing was uneven. He took another step back, pulling her further from the scene between Poe and Ohnaka. Turning his back to the argument, he loosened his grip and turned her around to face him, his hands resting on her upper arms. She was still shaking, avoiding his gaze as he tried to catch hers. The instinct that had plagued him ever since the accident urged him to embrace her, hold her tight and shield her from Ohnaka’s words the way he had shielded her in the car. 

 

“Rey, it’s alright.” K said gently, entreating her to look at him.

 

Rey pressed her lips together and finally met his eyes, her own brimming with unshed, angry tears. 

 

“He can’t say that kind of thing. He wasn’t there.” She took a gulp of air and blew it out in a shaky breath. “It wasn’t Poe’s fault.”

 

Realization hit Agent K like a ton of bricks. He knew about Dameron’s accident - it had been in The Agency’s report. But he didn’t know that Rey had witnessed it. Her insistence on going with him on the mountain and her visceral reaction to Ohnaka’s insult made sense. 

 

“I know.” He said gently. “I know it wasn’t.” The accident had been just that - an accident. The Agency had all the details. No one was to blame.

 

“Your little whore tried to hit me! I’m going to the producers! She’ll be fired!” 

 

Ohnaka’s screech flooded K’s mind and he stilled, his body coiling like a snake ready to strike, anger suffusing every pore. He hadn’t experienced that level of rage in a long time. Rey must have noticed because she squeezed his bicep, which snapped his attention back to her. She wore a concerned frown on her face. 

 

“He’s just an asshole,” she told him “I’ve heard worse.”

 

_I’ve heard worse._ The words echoed through K’s mind. She said them as if they would reassure him, but they only impaled the tattered remains of his soul. A long history stood behind that sentence and a surge of protectiveness hit him like an electric shock. She should never have been subjected to abuse like that. Never.

 

He turned his head sharply and watched the stunt man stomp off the soundstage and toward the exit of the studio building. Dameron made to go after Ohnaka but Rose and Finn held him back. K silently promised Dameron he would follow Ohnaka, but he needed to take care of Rey first. 

 

“Yeah, he’s an asshole.” K finally replied to her assertion. “Which is why you shouldn’t let him get to you.” K looked down at her again, his tone harsher than he meant it to be. He immediately realized his mistake as her sad expression morphed into a glare. 

 

“You don’t get to tell me who or what ‘gets' to me.” She hissed and pushed him away roughly. K stepped back with a grimace, hands raised. That hadn’t gone the way he intended. She stalked back over to Poe, immediately going to him, selflessly ensuring he was alright. 

 

Berating himself for upsetting Rey, K slowly turned away from the soundstage and decided to take his frustration out on someone more deserving of it. Like a predator hunting his prey, he followed Ohnaka out of the building.

 

****

 

K caught up with Ohnaka just outside the studio’s administrative building. It took barely any effort or subterfuge to follow the oblivious man without being noticed. 

 

It was even easier to pull Ohnaka into a secluded corner, hidden from view of the sidewalk by a large wooden gate. K yanked Ohnaka through the gate and pushed the stunt coordinator roughly against the wall of the administrative building, expression like stone. 

 

“Hey!” Ohnaka choked. “What the fuck are you doing man?”

 

K stepped into the other man’s space, toe-to-toe, and raised himself to his full height. Ohnaka was a good four inches shorter and it gave the agent a primal sense of pride to see the intimidation tactic work - the shorter man squeezed his shoulders inward, cowering defensively. K took it further and curled his fingers around Ohnaka’s neck, just enough to impede his breathing but not stop it. Ohnaka gagged, fingers scrambling for purchase on K’s forearm. It did no good. K was used to much stronger men struggling against him and easily ignored it. 

 

“If you say anything like that about Rey again I’ll make sure you won’t be able to walk much less run your mouth.” He hissed. The amount of venom in the words surprised him but it didn’t deter him. He tightend his fingers against Ohnaka’s windpipe to emphasize his point. “You don’t say anything about her or Dameron, or anyone she loves. And you’re not going to the producers. Understood?”

 

Ohnaka nodded furiously, the terror in his teary eyes testament to his sincerity. K slowly released the pressure against his throat until Ohnaka could draw a full breath and then took a step back, his own chest heaving. 

 

“Get out of here.” He said quietly and Ohnaka immediately obeyed. 

 

The last time K’d had that kind of visceral reaction was his last encounter with Snoke. 

 

He was slowly losing the carefully constructed wall around his emotions,the ones that had kept him safe, made him the best. All because of Rey Niima. 

 

The biggest threat to him wasn’t Snoke. It wasn’t a bullet. It was her. 

 

****

 

The entourage didn’t make it back to Dameron’s home until close to midnight. K walked behind the little group as they traipsed in on tired feet and made a beeline for Dameron’s giant couch. He’d kept a low profile after the encounter with Ohnaka and no one had gone looking for him. Rey had avoided him entirely. 

 

He leaned against the arched entry to the living room and watched the four of them they began to argue over what food to get delivered. In a little while he would slip out and leave them to it, but he wanted a small reprieve, his body sagging with unexpected exhaustion. 

 

“I vote pizza.”

 

Rose huffed. “You always vote pizza, Finn. Why aren’t you more adventurous?”

 

“What about Chinese?” Rey cut in. “I need some General Tso’s.” 

 

“Where’s my remote?” Dameron scrambled across the plush couch, climbing over Rey and Rose in his search for the elusive TV controller. 

 

“Hey!”

 

“Watch it, Poe!”

 

The man behind the uproar crawled over Finn and reached underneath a cushion, from which he triumphantly pulled out the remote. “Ah ha! Got it!”

 

“Get off!” Finn grimaced and tried to push his boss away but Dameron refused to move, instead laying over Finn’s legs and starting the TV from there. “Come on, man!”

 

“Get off my boyfriend!” 

 

“Why? You don’t want to sit on him.” Dameron grinned wickedly at Rose who blushed furiously. Rey gaped at Finn, who was intently focused on a piece of lint on the couch.

 

“Finn Stormman! That was a private conversation!” Rose shouted and Finn groaned, knowing he was in deep, deep trouble. 

 

“Poe, you’re killing me.” He whined.

 

“No, but I definitely will!” Rose lurched up and tossed a pillow at her boyfriend but it wound up hitting Dameron instead and knocked him off of Finn and onto the floor. A chorus of laughter followed the upset. 

 

K couldn’t help the smile that lifted the corners of his mouth. If nothing else, the group was amusing. Something twinged inside him, a melancholy tug that he could read as loneliness if he let himself. He’d never had relationships that close - neither friends nor family. The closest thing to a friendship he had was with Lando and that was sometimes tenuous. 

 

Rey stood, stifling her laughter. “Okay, seriously guys, we need food. I’m going to the kitchen to look at some of those carry out menus and you’ll get whatever I want.”

 

A chorus of ‘okays’ resounded around the room and Rey made her to the entry, stopping beside K. 

 

“Hey.” She pressed her lips together before continuing. “Wanna help me decide?”

 

K blinked, taken aback - he didn’t think she had yet forgiven him for earlier, but nodded. “I can do that.” He replied and followed her to the kitchen like a puppy following his master for a treat. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Rose staring after them. While curious, he didn’t give it a second thought once he joined Rey at the large counter in Dameron’s spacious kitchen. 

 

She was rummaging through a drawer, the ubiquitous junk drawer, and pulling out every take out menu she could find. When K stood himself on the other side of the counter she glanced up at him and nodded to his jacket. 

 

“You always wear that?” 

 

K glanced down at his suit, slightly confused. “It’s my uniform.” It was the truth, in a way. It didn’t feel right not to wear it. 

 

“You can take it off if you want. No one is gonna tell Ackbar.” Her smile was conspiratorial and K found himself complying with her suggestion before another second passed. He carefully folded it over one of the bar stools next to the counter then rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt.

 

“I’m sorry about earlier.” She said next, eyes still cast on the drawer. “Poe’s accident is a touchy subject.”

 

“No need to apologize. I shouldn’t have been so harsh.” K startled himself at his own sincerity. Rey’s eyes rose, her face soft, grateful. He would give his right arm to be bestowed that look again. 

 

“I guess we’re both a little hot-headed.” She murmured, her gaze traveling down. The way her eyes traveled down his arms and rested on his bare forearms sent a jolt down K’s spine. She quickly averted her eyes when she saw him watching her and cleared her throat. 

 

“What do you like to eat?” She asked, voice squeaking. She was flustered. K, sensing an opportunity, slowly moved to her side of the counter and sidled up behind her to appraise the menus. He leaned in close, casually peering over her shoulder and planting his hands on the counter on either side of her body. Rey stiffened, her breathing accelerated, but she didn’t push him away or make any other indication she wanted him to stop. 

 

“I like Chinese.” K said, voice rumbling low in his throat, answering with her favored option. He kept his chest from making contact with her back, but he was close enough he could smell the vanilla and brown sugar soap she favored, sweet and warm and inviting, tempting him. As his breath ghosted against the back of her neck he saw goosebumps rise in its wake. Rey shuddered and reached for the menu in question, and K could see her hand was shaking. She pulled the pamphlet over and opened it. 

 

Pointing a finger to an item she asked if it sounded good.

 

“Matt?” 

 

“Hm?” K wasn’t paying any attention, eyes drawn to where the slope of her neck met her shoulders. Her torn up old sweatshirt - at least two sizes too big - had slipped and revealed the bare skin beneath. Was she even wearing a shirt? When had she changed from her work clothes? How had he not noticed?

 

“Do you want the steak? And could you back-” Her voice rang with irritation and she twisted around, a frown on her face that disappeared at being nearly nose to nose with K. The words on her lips died but her mouth fell open in a small ‘o’. He took one more step, crowding her against the counter. K shamelessly ran his eyes over her. She was taller than the average woman, slim but fit, and with a personality too stubborn to know when to quit. Remnants - barely discernible from a normal distance - of scratches dotted one side of her face, the side he hadn’t been able to shield in the accident, and he was made painfully aware of his failure to protect her.

 

One of his hands rose to brush its knuckles gently against those scratches. K watched her cheeks flush a delightful shade of pink in response and her eyes darted between his eyes and his lips. The thought he had upon seeing her picture for the first time rang through his head.

 

_If I had a type she might be it._

 

_She is it._

 

As soon as the epiphany crossed his mind K caved to desire. He tilted his head down and planted both hands on the counter again. He gripped the counter a little harder when she lifted her chin in response - an invitation. 

 

It was all he could do not to lift her onto the counter and defile Dameron’s kitchen but this needed to be done slowly. He crept forward, just an inch closer to her lips. It would only take one more before they touched…

 

“Hey guys.” Rose chirped, bursting the thick bubble in the room. Rey forcefully pushed K away, so hard that he stumbled against the opposite counter with a pained grunt. She spared him an apologetic glance before scurrying to the kitchen door, menu in hand, face red as a tomato. K didn’t take his eyes from her, savoring the way she kept glancing back at him. 

 

“I’m going to go order the food… in-in the living room.” She announced hoarsely and slid past Rose, bumping into the doorjamb with her hip because she was looking K and not where she was going. “Ow.”

 

When Rey had disappeared through the door Rose turned and K found himself the victim of a death glare. 

 

“I think we need to talk.” She strode up and stood directly in front of him. Their twelve-inch height difference did not seem to bother her or dissuade her in the least and K was impressed. Rose crossed her arms and peered up at him with narrowed eyes. “What exactly are your intentions with my best friend?”

 

“Intentions?” K repeated, amused. Such archaic language from a woman who was a genius in tech was quite the juxtaposition. 

 

“Yeah. Like are you actually interested in her or are you just looking for a good time?” Rose snapped out the last part. K hadn’t seen the extent of Rose’s loyalty but he could tell this was just the tip of the iceberg. It was written all over her face that she would do anything to protect her friends. 

 

K straightened up, let his arms hang at his sides, and relaxed his shoulders. He needed her to feel she had the power and that he was sincere. 

 

“I like Rey. I don’t want anything more than she’s willing to give.” It was an honest answer. He never took what he wasn’t given freely. But the rest of it was that he might have to do anything else, including hurt her badly, to complete his mission. Rose would probably kill him if she knew that. 

 

Rose tilted her head and gazed at him appraisingly. “I’m going to be honest with you, Matt. I’ve looked into you. I have… ways of finding information on people.” 

 

K almost snorted. That was one way of putting it.

 

She continued. “And there’s not a lot on you. Not even an old MySpace page. Just your birth certificate and the address you gave us. It’s like you’re a ghost.” 

 

Agent K stiffened. Did she know?

 

“Do you not like social media or something?” Rose asked and K relaxed. She hadn’t found anything on his true identity or she would have said so.

 

“I’ve never been a big online person.” He explained lightly. “I don’t even know what MySpace is.” That was true. The social media age was a mystery to him. It was too dangerous. 

 

Rose scowled then shook her head. “Whatever. But know this: I’m going to keep looking, and if I find anything remotely weird about you, I’m telling Rey.” 

 

“As you should.” K replied seriously. Rose’s eyebrows arched in surprise. 

 

“You’re kinda strange, you know that?” She said with a shake of her head, her inky hair swishing around her face. 

 

K’s lips quirked up. “Are you going to tell Rey that or do I have another chance?” 

 

Rose laughed. “No. I’ll give you another chance.” A serious expression replaced the levity. “Don’t hurt her.”

 

The agent clenched his jaw, preparing himself for the lie he had to tell; it took more effort than it should have. “I won’t.” 

 

The tiny but intimidating woman before him seemed satisfied at that and left the kitchen. K sighed heavily once he was alone. He’d never seen such loyalty in a group of friends before, such love. He felt sure that they’d all die for each other if it ever came down to it. A surge of protectiveness overcame him, not just for Rey, but all of them. None of them had asked for his presence and the peril it brought, none of them even knew they were in danger.

 

Snoke was on the move and threatened Rey, Dameron, Rose, Finn too. K wouldn’t let him touch them, not one. 

 


	9. Chapter 9

 

The morning after what K called ‘the kitchen encounter’ (he was unashamedly proud of the pun), Lando called him to an emergency meeting on the other side of town. The drive over gave K plenty of time to think about the night before. 

 

How he and Rey had kept exchanging glances as dinner was eaten; how he’d found an excuse at some point to sit beside her and she hadn’t moved; how his heart had raced when her hand brushed his. 

 

How he’d had to take an ice cold shower when he did make it home because he had been thinking about her rosy lips, waiting for him to take them with his own; about the flush on her face when he’d stepped closer and how it spread down her neck and beneath her sweatshirt…

 

He stopped that train of thought. He would need another cold shower if he wasn’t careful. 

 

The meeting with Lando was in a busy park full of barking dogs, laughing children, and mothers who were thankful for a break as their kids attacked the playground equipment. It offered a welcome distraction to K’s thoughts. He found his handler sitting on a bench, idly sipping at a coffee as he watched a group of college students play ultimate frisbee. That morning Lando was wearing a purple suit with an orange satin tie; K could not understand how the man remained covert with such an eclectic wardrobe. 

 

The agent - dressed in more casual garb of jeans, a ball cap, and his favorite t-shirt that had unfortunately shrunk in the wash so that now it clung to him more tightly - took a seat beside the older man, and folded his arms across his chest. He squinted at the frisbee players beneath his sunglasses. They weren’t very good, he mused.

 

“How’s your assignment, K?” Lando queried casually. “Any updates on Niima?”

 

K licked his lips, the incident in Poe’s kitchen coming to mind. “There has been some progress…” he answered slowly. “She trusts me now. I’m ready to take the next step.” 

 

Lando took a deep breath and sighed it out. “Well, you won’t have to worry about it now.” He glanced at K before returning his attention to the frisbee game. “We’re pulling you out.”

 

Agent K froze. They were pulling him out? His mission had barely begun. An internal alarm sounded; this was wrong. It was too abrupt, even for Lando. 

 

“What’s the situation?” He asked.

 

“We have new intel that Snoke is moving on. Apparently Tico is too much trouble. We need you to follow him. You know what to do: break all ties.” Lando took another sip of his coffee. “Dump Niima.”

 

“I can’t do that.” The words came out faster than K had the ability to stop them. Lando turned his head and gawked. 

 

“You _can’t_ do that?” 

 

K, appalled by his own refusal, turned away from Lando’s shocked expression. He needed a better reason. “I mean I feel like this is a mistake. I’m certain Dameron’s accident was caused by one of Snoke’s people. Probably a distraction so they could take Tico.” 

 

That was true enough.

 

“We have found footage of the red-haired man in other locations where Snoke has been, so you’re probably right. But that doesn’t matter now.” Lando’s voice took on a harsh tone. “The evidence shows that Snoke is no longer worried about Tico and Holdo says you need to follow that lead. Dump Niima. Make it messy. Can you do that, Agent K, or do I need to find a new ghost?”

 

K could read the question as the threat that it was and it burned him. He didn’t like being threatened. 

 

“No.” He grit out, resentment dripping from the syllable. “I can do it.” He knew - knew it in his bones - that Snoke wasn’t done in LA, but there was nothing he could do if the order came from Holdo herself.

 

His handler’s expression softened and he pat K on the knee. “We all get too attached to our marks sometimes, kid. It’s for the best we do it this way. For her and you.” K worked his jaw, tensing at Lando’s patronizing tone, and jerked his knee away from the old man.

 

He hoped Rose’s threats were bluffs, because if they weren’t, she was definitely going to kill him for what he had to do. 

 

* * *

 

It was noon in the Dameron household and Rey was steadily avoiding Rose’s unblinking gaze, focusing instead on eating her cereal and scrolling through the news on her phone. She was not keen on the conversation her friend wanted to have and had successfully avoided it the night before but now, sitting at Poe’s counter - the very counter Matt had cornered her and nearly kissed her at - with Rose doing her best impression of an owl, she knew it was only a matter of time.

 

“Sooo, are we gonna talk about what happened or are you gonna keep giving me the silent treatment?”

 

Time was up. 

 

Rey sighed and put down her spoon. “I don’t know what happened.” 

 

Rose barked out a laugh. “I’ll give you the run down. You were pinned against the counter and about to make out with Matt the hunky bodyguard. I walked in and you ran out like you’d just seen a cave troll. I think that about covers it.”

 

“I know what happened.” Rey deadpanned. “I just don’t know _what happened_.” She buried her face in her hands. “He just smells so damn good…”

 

There was silence for a moment. Rey could feel the question Rose was about to ask before she asked it. “Do you like him?”

 

Rey shook her head. 

 

“I don’t know. I like him more than I did… but I don’t know what that means.” She stared at the milk in her cereal bowl, turned a weird green from the colorful Fruit Loops she’d eaten, and thought about what would it be like to be a piece of cereal with no drama, no raging hormones, no feelings to be hurt. 

 

_Is this what an existential crisis feels like?_ She thought.

 

“He likes you.” 

 

Rey looked sharply at her friend and forgot about the cereal, her heart beating a bit faster than it had been a second before. “Did _he_ say that?” 

 

“Yeah.” Rose nodded. “I kind of asked him what his, uh, intentions were…” 

 

“You didn’t say it like that, did you?” Rey scrunched her face up in dismay.

 

Rose pressed her lips together, avoiding Rey’s gaze. “Maybe.” She muttered. 

 

A groan escaped Rey’s lips and she once again hid her face in her hands. “WHY?”

 

“I think the main point here is that he said he liked you and what you’re going to do about it since you obviously like him too.” 

 

Rey knew her friend was right. If Matt did like her - last night would be a strange act if he didn’t - then she definitely needed to do something about it. 

 

“I don’t think I can…” she shook her head. “He’s too complicated.” At Rose’s quizzical look Rey explained about the knife and the scars, two things that had been bothering her ever since she had seen them. “I get this weird feeling in my gut that there’s more to him than what’s on the surface. I don’t want to deal with that.”

 

Right now life was fine, predictable. Adding a romance was a variable she was reticent to add. Sometimes she was lonely; sometimes she thought it would be nice to have a warm body beside her at night to stave off her nightmares, but that brought its own risks, like having to explain where those nightmares came from. Besides, she reminded herself, she had people in her life she loved and fulfilled her - Poe, Rose, and Finn. She didn’t need anyone else. 

 

It didn’t matter that Matt sent a thrill up her spine and warmth to her core every time he touched her. That was biology, plain and simple, and biology she could control. 

 

Rose had been quiet, a serious expression on her face after Rey told her about her concerns. It wasn’t often the cheerful woman had that look and usually it was when she had a particularly hard programming problem. 

 

Before Rey could ask what the expression meant her phone buzzed and Matt’s name appeared on the screen in a text. 

 

“Speak of the devil.” She muttered and opened the text. “He wants to meet me in half an hour.” Rey’s stomach did a backflip, nerves hitting her like semi truck. “What if he asks me out?”

 

“Coffee shop, huh? He’s definitely gonna ask you out.” Rose leaned forward a little, reading the text. “What are you going to say?”

 

“I’ll say no.” Rey turned her phone face down with a decisive tap. “I’ll say no.”

 

She ignored the way the word left a foul taste in her mouth. 

 

* * *

 

Agent K tapped a furious beat against the wood floor of the coffee shop with his foot as he sat at a table next to one of the large windows. It was the shop he had been buying Rey’s tea from, a bright but cozy place with plenty of comfortable seating for those who wanted to spend hours enjoying their coffee with a good book. 

 

He had already put an order in for her. For the last time. That sinking in his gut every time he thought about leaving wouldn’t go away, no matter how hard he tried. He was going to hurt her. He had to, he argued to himself. It was for her own safety. 

 

He checked his Agency issued watch for the seventh time in a minute; she’d arrive at any second. Rey was as punctual as K. The entire time he’d known her she hadn’t been late for a single appointment, even with Dameron in tow. He prayed she might be late for this one. No such luck. 

 

As soon as he’d put his hand down she walked through the door, hair up in her unusual but adorable three-bun style, loose tendrils framing her face. She wore a t-shirt that was too big for her tucked into the band of her jeans; the design on the front told him it was one of Dameron’s. K experienced a flare of jealousy at the sight of her wearing another man’s shirt but tamped it down. Jealousy was an ugly emotion. He didn’t have the right to feel it anyway.

 

She wasn’t his… anything. Never would be. 

 

He hardened his heart, now prepared to do what he had to, and stood as she walked over, hands clasped together tightly, expression nervous. 

 

_Why is she nervous?_

 

“Rey, I’m glad you came.” He greeted. Lie. He wished she’d never come. He wished _he’d_ never come. He wished he’d never come to LA and never met her. “I need to tell you something.” He pulled out a chair for her to take but she put up a hand and remained standing. 

 

“Let me go first.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. K’s gut roiled. She was going to tell him she wanted to continue what they started in the kitchen. That she wanted him. He needed to say something before-

 

“We can’t go out.”

 

The words hit him like a bullet, like the one that had pierced his shoulder two years ago. Only, for a reason beyond him, this hurt significantly more. 

 

“What?” He blurted. 

 

Rey looked at him as if pained. “I’m sorry. We can’t go out. I know that you like me. Rose told me. And if it’s too much for you to work with me then we can figure something out. We’re adults and we should be able to work together even after this.” She waved a hand between them. K watched that hand, dumbfounded. 

 

He’d been expecting her to be the one who was disappointed, who was confused. Sure they hadn’t really gotten anywhere but the potential had been there. Had that meant nothing to her? Had he read the signals wrong? 

 

He was questioning himself, his abilities. None of his enemies had generated the amount of insecurity and pain she had just inflicted on him. Anger simmered through him and he acted on an instinct he experienced only when incensed. 

 

She began to say something else but he interrupted her with a humorless laugh. Rey stared at him in surprise. 

 

“What are you laughing at?”

 

K lowered his ice-cold stare to her and she took a half step back. She was afraid of him. Something inside him cracked at that but he pushed on. 

 

“You thought I wanted to ask you out? Oh, Rey.” He shook his head. Any reluctance he had to embracing the unfeeling agent he was trained to be vanished with her rejection. “I don’t want to go out with you.”

 

“Y-you don’t? Then why tell Rose-”

 

“Because she was being pushy and I wanted her out of my hair.” K rolled his eyes. “They’re all such annoying, nosy people! Honestly, it’s a relief that I’m leaving.”

 

“You’re leaving?” Rey scowled. “Since when?”

 

“Since last night.” He took a breath and dove off the deep end. “I almost made the biggest mistake of my life.”

 

She paled and it nearly broke him. “So… what happened…”

 

“I thought you’d be easy.” He snapped, the words burning his tongue. “Did you honestly think it could be anything more? It was nothing. You’re nothing.”

 

Rey’s face clouded and K knew he had hit the right mark. “You’re a monster.” She hissed, angry tears forming in her eyes. 

 

K stepped close, into her space, a mockery of their intimacy the night before. But she stood her ground and met his hard stare with her own. He couldn’t stop his eyes from lowering to her lips but averted them quickly. She noticed, he knew it because she opened her mouth in surprise and her expression morphed from angry to disgusted. K felt his eye twitch, another involuntary tic he hated. 

 

He was a monster. 

 

He couldn’t stay one more second or he’d tell her everything and beg forgiveness on his knees. In three swift movements he’d side-stepped Rey and strode out of the coffee shop, not daring to look back. When he was outside he inhaled deeply, needing oxygen like he’d just been on the brink of drowning. There was an ache in his chest where he supposed his heart would be, if he had one.

 

It was over. 

 

Time to move on. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't hate meeeeeeee


	10. Chapter 10

 

K had not gone ten steps from the coffee shop when his phone rang - The Agency phone. Lando’s tone.  
****

 

“Lando.” K cleared his throat, his voice hoarse as he worked past the lump in his throat. “What is it?”

 

“Have you dealt with Niima yet?” An urgency in his handler’s tone slowed K to a stop. 

 

“Yes,” he replied hesitantly. Lando cursed and K gripped the phone so hard he heard it crack. “Why?” He grit out. 

 

“When I got back to the office there was a note waiting for me. The intel we received was false. Snoke’s not going anywhere. You need to maintain your position.”

 

K closed his eyes, jaw working. It took all of his self-control not to fling the already broken phone against the nearest wall. “I just burnt that bridge, Lando.” He hissed into the receiver. 

 

“Then rebuild it.” 

 

“It’s not that easy!”

 

Lando scoffed. “Who said our job was easy? Take care of it, Agent K.” With that he hung up, leaving K alone to figure out to climb out of the hole he’d dug for himself on Lando’s _orders_. 

 

While he was deciding how best to do that, he heard the little bell on the door of the coffee shop ring cheerily. He glanced over his shoulder as Rey emerged from the shop, shuffling her feet, looking dazed. K cursed under his breath. He only had seconds to find a solution. 

 

Rey turned in his direction and their eyes met. For a second he thought she looked like she was going to cry - puffiness around her eyes indicated she had been - but that quickly passed. A shadow fell over her face and she straightened her posture. If a person could breathe fire, K was certain she would be right now. He steeled himself and strode to her, making up the distance before she could run. 

 

“What do you want now?” She said, seething. “Not done telling me how much you hate my friends and I?” 

 

“I was wrong to say those things.” K decided the best way was to be as contrite as possible and hope she believe him. “I didn’t mean any of it.” 

 

Rey gaped open-mouthed at him for a beat. “What the hell?” She blurted. 

 

“I have… I have a bad temper and got defensive,” he continued, his words running together. “Because you were absolutely right. I do like you. I like you a lot. But you said you didn’t want anything to do with me. I was embarrassed.” 

 

A kernel of truth. That was important in a successful deception: there always needed to be a kernel of truth. 

 

When Rey didn’t reply, still too shocked to form a coherent sentence, K went on. “I won’t bother you about this. I won’t make things awkward. But let me come back. I can’t lose this job.” 

 

He hoped to the God he wasn’t sure he believed in that she would say yes. Rey’s expression was still confused and maybe fearful. He didn’t blame her. He was acting like a psycho. 

 

“Rey,” he lowered his voice and took the risk of stepping closer. She stood her ground and, though he had no right, a flash of pride went through him. “I don’t expect anything from you. Not even forgiveness. I have a bad temper and I lost it just now. It won’t happen again. Please let me stay with Poe.” 

 

The interval before she nodded was an eternity. It wasn’t a firm nod - more like a minuscule bob - but it was enough. 

 

“Thank you.” He breathed, shoulders slumping in relief. But a split second later her finger jabbed him hard in the chest. 

 

“But don’t you ever, _ever,_ say someone is ‘nothing’. Ever.” The ferocity in her voice meant that the barb had dug deeper than he thought it would. What had he done? 

 

“I’m sorry.” It was all he could find to say. 

 

Rey shivered and looked away. “We’re not going to be a thing.” She added harshly and it stung, he wouldn’t deny that. “And I’m okay with this only because it would be a pain in the ass to explain to Poe and you saved his life, so you’re good for something.”

 

“Understood.” K hoped he was putting off enough sincerity. He was sincere; perhaps the most honest he had been with anyone in a long time.

 

Rey looked at him with a frown. “Fine. So we don’t mention this to Poe. Pretend it never happened.”

 

“It… it never happened.” 

 

_Just like my weeks of work. Down the drain. Last night may as well have been a dream. Maybe it was._

 

Lifting her chin, Rey stepped around him and went on her way, not sparing one glance behind her. 

 

K watched her leave, disbelieving his luck. He would have to start all over with her but at least he could stay in Dameron’s entourage, where he needed to be. He blew out a breath and went on his way, formulating his next steps and planning revenge on Lando for his useless information. 

 

A box of neon Crocs might do the trick…

 

* * *

 

Rey didn’t know how she got back to her apartment, too dazed to comprehend her surroundings. The meeting with Matt had gone from awkward to infuriating to weird in a matter of minutes and Rey’s head was still spinning. The entire drive home she kept replaying the scene in her head. He’d seemed angry, which made sense at first. But the things he’d said were the opposite of someone who she thought liked her.

 

Maybe he was telling the truth when he said it was all because he had a bad temper. In any case, someone that volatile was the last person she wanted as a partner. 

 

“Hey, Rey!” Rose greeted, popping her head around the open fridge door as Rey walked into their small but cozy kitchen. A frown crossed her friend’s face as Rey slumped down in a wicker chair at their kitchen table. “How’d things go with Matt?”

 

“I’m not really sure.” Rey murmured. 

 

Rose joined her at the table, taking the seat opposite her. “Tell me.”

 

So Rey launched into the encounter, sparing no details. As she spoke Rose’s face became grim. When she finished Rose did not mince her words. 

 

“That bastard. Why’d you say he could come back?” She exclaimed. Rey groaned and hid her face in her hands. 

 

“I don’t know.” She whined. “He seemed sincere? There was something in his eyes… And he did save Poe’s life.” She leaned back in her chair and gave Rose an imploring look. “Am I an idiot?”

 

She felt like one. Because despite it all, despite Matt’s strange - downright insane - behavior, she couldn’t shake him off. When he had told her he was leaving Rey had experienced a despair she hadn’t felt since her uncle died and left her with that asshole Plutt. She couldn’t tell Rose though. If Rey thought it was crazy then Rose would have her committed. 

 

Rose gave her a sympathetic look and took Rey’s hand in hers, squeezing it. “I think you’re trying your best. You’re right. Poe would be a pain in the ass and Matt has proven himself. If you think he’ll behave, then it’ll be fine.”

 

“I hope he will.” Rey muttered. She glanced at her phone and saw three text messages from Poe. “I have to go. Poe’s having a meltdown over his wardrobe for that interview tomorrow.” She stood but before she left she leaned down and hugged Rose. “I love you.”

 

“Love you, too.” Rose replied and it brought a smile to Rey’s face. Mr. Bad Idea may be weird and unpredictable, but she had Rose. Rose and Poe and Finn. They were all she needed. 

 

* * *

 

That evening K sat mulling over the events of the day in his warehouse, transcribing them in his journal. It had been a shit show. Rey had been jumpy, avoiding him at every turn. Poe had noticed, so had Finn. Rose had given K so many dirty looks that the agent was certain Rey had told her everything.

 

He wondered how that situation would play out, Rose’s threat fresh in his mind. 

 

After that he began a word cloud on what to do about Rey but scratched out idea after idea, deeming them and word clouds stupid. She would never consider him in a positive light again. Thanks to Lando. 

 

K had told the old man exactly where he could shove his information. It was all shit. He’d told him to figure out what was going on in The Agency’s intel department and fix it. Lando hadn’t argued. He was a good enough agent to know what bad information like that might have cost. First the lack of intel on Rose and now this. K had contained it this time. It couldn’t happen again. 

 

After scratching out another bad idea so hard he broke his pen and tore a hole through the page, K threw his journal across the room. It hit the concrete wall with a loud and satisfying slap before dropping to the floor. Hitting something seemed like a good idea and he had a state-of-the-art punching bag hanging near his bed just asking to get thrashed. 

 

K pulled his shirt off and wrapped his hands before attacking the 200-pound bag with brutal punches. He lost himself in the exercise, sending every frustration in his body through his arms to the bag. The heavy thuds reverberated throughout his warehouse apartment, shutting out the city outside and the whirring of his computers. 

 

When the floor was slick with sweat K stopped, gripping the bag to stop it from swinging. His knuckles were bruised and his arms ached but he felt better. He grabbed his shirt from the bed where he’d flung it and wiped his face before sending the cloth through his sweat-drenched hair. 

 

“Rey wasn’t kidding about the scars.” 

 

Instinct working over mind, K had grabbed his pistol from the holster laying on his bed, cocked it, and pointed it at the intruder within seconds of the first syllable. 

 

He nearly dropped the gun when he saw who it was. 

 

“Rose?”

 

“Hey there.” She gave him a little wave. “Nice place you have. A bit austere for my taste, but to each their own.” She glanced around. K was too dumbstruck to do anything but stand there staring at her. How the fuck had she gotten in? 

 

“How…?”

 

Her dark eyes fell on him again. “How did I get in? Your lock may be encrypted but I have magic fingers.” She wiggled said fingers to emphasize her point. “And a genius IQ. You’ll want to change the code, by the way.”

 

K had the presence of mind to put his gun down but little else. He stood there, shirtless and sweaty, with no other thought in his head except for how much trouble he was in.

 

Rose noticed because she laughed. “Oh, come on. _Agent K_.” Her tone took on a snap that made K flinch. “You have nothing else to say to me?”

 

That broke the spell. K pulled his shirt over his head, moving casually as he went to his kitchen and gulped down an entire glass of water before returning to Rose. 

 

“Your skills are impressive, Tico.” He said, leaning against the table she sat at. She met his placid gaze with an angry stare. “You’re wasting your talents at Resistance.”

 

“I know what I’m doing. What I don’t know is what you’re doing. And you’re going to explain it to me.” She jerked her chin to a chair nearby. “Sit. Explain. Or I’ll put this entire operation on Wikileaks.”

 

She would. K knew when he had the bad hand. He pulled the chair over and swung his legs over it, leaning his arms on the backrest. 

 

“What do you want to know?”

 

Rose glowered at him. “Everything. Starting with why you’re fucking with Rey.”

 

“That’s a long story,” he murmured. “Won’t Finn be wondering where you are?” 

 

“He’s with Poe and Rey. They think I’m working late. Which I do often. So get to explaining.” She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, waiting. 

 

K drew in a deep breath and sighed it out before he began his story. He didn’t tell Rose all the details. She didn’t need to know what K’s connection to Snoke was. But he told her everything else. What Snoke was doing, that he needed Rose, why K had tried to start something with Rey. She probably already knew anyway, considering that she knew K’s identity as a ghost agent. 

 

When he was finished Rose was staring at him with a hard expression. 

 

“So you're purposely manipulating Rey, _my friend_ , to get close to me? That’s fucked up.”

 

“What I do is fucked up sometimes.” K spread his hands. “But someone needs to do it.”

 

“She’s been through a lot of shit, Matt- Agent K… whoever the hell you are!” She stood and paced the room. “So that scene in the kitchen.” He averted his eyes when she shot another look at him. “Are you that good of an actor?”

 

“Not that good.” He found himself admitting. He heard Rose stop pacing and her footsteps drew nearer. 

 

“Hey.” He glanced up and saw gentleness in her expression for the first since she’d arrived. “Do you mean that?”

 

K sighed and hung his head. “It doesn’t matter.” He pushed himself off the chair. “I have to keep lying to her.”

 

“What? Why? I know everything.”

 

“It’s a live mission, Rose.” K explained with more patience than he though he possessed. “The tactic with Rey is even more relevant now that you know. If I’m to keep you safe I need to be around you constantly. That means getting close to Rey.”

 

Rose chewed at the nail on her thumb, a nervous tic K had noticed before. It didn’t stem from fear, but deep thought, planning. He understood why Rey liked her. She was fearless. 

 

“I’m sorry. I wish it were different.” He murmured, meaning every word. “I don’t like hurting her. And it will hurt when this is over.” 

  
His guest snorted. “Wow. You think a lot of yourself, don’t you.” She poked his arm. “What makes you believe she’s open to anything after what you pulled today? And why did that happen, exactly?”

 

K clenched his fists. “My handler,” he explained through gritted teeth, “had bad intel.” 

 

“That sucks.” She commiserated. “I would think an organization like yours wouldn’t have amateurs working for them.”

 

“Neither would I.” He huffed. But she gave him an idea. “Rose. I could use your help.” 

 

Her eyes widened. “My help?”

 

“You’re the best hacker I’ve ever met.”

 

“Meet a lot of us, do you?”

 

“Never mind. It stands.” He watched her intently. “You can help me catch Snoke. You found out who I am, who I work for, you can get through his company’s firewalls. You’re probably the only person who can.”

 

She gaped at him. “Are you fucking serious?”

 

“As a heart attack.” K pursed his lips. The day which had started out shitty might end with a victory. But she needed an extra push. “The sooner you help me, the sooner I’ll be out of Rey’s life.” It pained him to say it, to even think it. Far more than he’d care to admit. 

 

Rose scowled and pinched his arm. 

 

“Ow!” K rubbed his injured arm and wondered what it was about Dameron’s women friends that they liked to hurt people so much. 

 

“Dummy. I’ll help you, but not because of _that_.” She waved a dismissive hand. “This Snoke guy sounds terrible. And if you’re right and he’s the one behind Poe’s accident, then that’s enough for me.”

 

K eyed her suspiciously. “Thank you. But you can’t tell anyone,” he added. “Not Finn, not Rey. No one.” His tone hardened, a threat at the edge. But Rose was unmoved.

 

“I know that.” She rolled her eyes. “You smell terrible. I’m going to get out of here.” She turned on her heels and strolled toward the exit. 

 

But a question burned at K’s mind and he had to know the answer before she left. “Hey.” She stopped and looked over her shoulder expectantly. “Why not because of _‘that’_?” 

 

_Why not get me out of her life?_

 

A mischievous smile flickered across her face. “Because I don’t believe you can stay away, secret agent man.”


	11. Chapter 11

 

A month passed, Christmas came and went, New Years plodded by and through it all Rey avoided Matt like the plague. There were times she had to interact with him for work but she ensured they were brief. He continued to bring her tea and she accepted, if only to keep up appearances. Poe and Finn would know something was up if she started refusing Matt’s peace offering again. 

 

Rose hadn’t told Finn about Matt, which puzzled Rey. They had agreed not to tell Poe but Rey hadn’t said anything about Finn. She had assumed Rose would immediately tell her boyfriend. 

 

But in the end Rey was relieved that no one else knew. She could pretend everything was alright. 

 

At least she could comfort herself that her initial instinct about Matt was right and she could trust her gut. There was a whole mountain hidden beneath that calm, Greek-god facade, like an iceberg waiting for an unsuspecting ship to scrape by. 

 

She’d nearly been that ship. 

 

For the first couple of weeks after Matt’s outburst Rey had feared he would be moody or stalk her. But he didn’t. He was the perfect gentleman. He didn’t speak to her unless she spoke to him first and began asking her permission on things pertinent to Poe. 

 

He was trying to make up for his temper, she knew that. At least he was self-aware and humble about it. That was more than she could say for most men she knew. All the same she remained wary in those first weeks.

 

But, as time went on, she noticed Rose and Matt spending more time together. When Rey brought it up Rose told her - to Rey’s horror - that she had confronted Matt about the cafe and that he’d apologized. Rey was surprised, even more so when Rose said that she thought Matt was genuine and that Rey could let herself relax around him. Rose had been observing him carefully, she said, and was confident the cafe was a one-time incident.

 

Rose’s suggestion gave Rey a lot to think about but there was no one more discerning of a person’s character than her roommate and if she believed the bodyguard then Rey would too. Rose had her back. No matter what. Maybe it was just for the good of the group or maybe Rose saw something Rey couldn’t. Whatever it was, Rey trusted her. 

 

Enough that Rey decided she could talk to Matt and let things go. 

 

After the short holiday break the studio had given the production, she approached him as he stood in his usual place on the soundstage at work, keeping careful eye on the proceedings.

 

“Rose told me about you.”

 

Matt started, eyes widening in something Rey could only describe as shock - maybe fear. But it passed swiftly and the rest of his face was calm as he responded in an even tone. 

 

“She did…” 

 

Rey frowned. “She told me you apologized for what you said at the cafe. She said she talked to you about it.” 

 

“Oh,” Matt nodded slowly. “Yes, she did. And I did.” He looked at her warily, like he was unsure what her point was. Rey supposed that was fair. This was the first time she’d talked to him in weeks that didn’t have anything to do with work. 

So she was honest. “I trust Rose and she said she believes you - that you’re not going to do something like that again. So I believe you too. I want to put all this behind us. I think we can… I think we can be friends. Nothing more.” She added sternly.

 

His mouth fell open. It was the first time she’d seen him truly surprised and she laughed. As he lifted a corner of his mouth in a half smile the tension Rey’d been holding released. She hadn’t realized how on edge she’d been but forgiving him freed her. 

 

Everything was out in the open. He liked her and she knew and refused his attentions. He’d been stupid about it but had apologized and hadn’t said another word on the subject since. They could move on now. 

 

 

****

 

Rey was even more grateful that she and Matt had resolved their issue when awards season arrived. She needed all the allies she could get. 

 

Poe was invited to nearly all of the major ceremonies and was looking forward to every single photo op on the red carpet, looking more and more like a hungry predator with each new invite. Fortunately for Poe, he enjoyed dressing to the nines. Unfortunately for Rey, he insisted on taking her as his date (something about her not ‘getting out enough’), which meant she also had to have formalwear. 

 

Rose promised to help her look through gowns Poe had designers send over but Rey dreaded it. She preferred her comfortable sweaters and jeans - maybe the occasional skirt - to flouncy gowns and high heels. Plus it meant her weekends were shot from January to May.

 

In addition to the insanity that was the upcoming formalities, Rose’s car finally died. Rey did her best to save it but there was nothing she could do, even with her mechanic skills. Rose cried, naturally, but Rey thought it was the best thing that could have happened. Rose could get a safer car and Rey could stop wasting money car batteries and spark plugs. 

 

However, Rose demanded time to grieve, and since her car was their only transportation and Rey didn’t want to own a vehicle for her own reasons, that meant they were out of a way to get home. There was no way Rey was spending her nights at Poe’s. The man had begun rewatching his own movies on top of planning for the awards ceremonies and became intolerable to be around. 

 

She was _not_ going to spend her only free time listening to Poe whine over his acting mistakes and then ask her whether or not he should wear velvet on the red carpet. 

 

He did offer she and Rose a vehicle but all of his cars were souped up, expensive, glorified race cars and Rey refused to drive them. The only car in Poe’s fleet she considered safe was the town car Matt ferried them all around in. 

 

“We could carpool.” The bodyguard offered, sitting beside her one afternoon as Rey lamented the issue in Poe’s living room. He was waiting for Poe while she chose the best of the actor’s latest headshots to frame at the office. “Your apartment is straight shot from my home and it’s another straight shot from there to here.”

 

That was an almost incredible coincidence but Rey wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. An incredibly luscious mouth. 

 

She shook that weird thought from her head, appalled at herself for thinking it after everything she’d said and the boundaries she’d built. “Are you sure it’s not an inconvenience?” She asked quickly to distract her own mind. “We can rent a car or get an Uber…”

 

“It’s no trouble.” Matt replied firmly. “I can pick you up before my day starts and bring you back whenever you want.” 

 

“It does save on gas…” Rey murmured, biting her bottom lip as she thought about it. “Okay.” She nodded. “Just until I can get Rose to buy another car.”

 

“I’m at your disposal.” He said. “For whatever you need.”

 

Rey didn’t linger on how his words made her skin tingle.

 

Rose was quick to agree to the plan. She concurred that it not only saved gas but was beneficial to the environment. Rey refrained from pointing out that Rose’s old clunker had probably contributed to the layers of smog L.A. perennially suffered from.

 

The new routine was easy to slip into, mostly due to Matt’s generosity. He was always on time and always had hot tea, coffee, and various pastries waiting for Rey and Rose in the leather-detailed car. Both women were delighted, neither having time in the morning for more than a hastily eaten breakfast bar.

 

With treatment like that they weren’t in too much of a hurry for a new car.

 

No matter how late their nights were he offered to take them home without fail. Sometimes Rose would go home with Finn (but only after a look from Matt, which Rey found odd but couldn’t find a way to bring up without sounding weird) and Rey was the only person he needed to take home. 

 

She looked forward to those night drives. Sometimes they talked about the day but for the most part they were quiet, and she thought they both enjoyed the comfortable, companionable silence after a hectic day. No radio, just the hum of the highway and the mellow orange highway lights rushing past. Matt was a smooth driver and more than once Rey fell asleep before reaching home. 

 

_Safe_ , a voice whispered in her ear as her eyes closed and her head drooped against the leather seat. _You’re safe._

 

A couple of weeks into the new practice, on a night Rose was spending at Finn’s and Rey had managed to stay awake, she and Matt were talking in the car - idling outside of her apartment -about the ethics of using stuntmen, and Rey invited him in for a cup of tea to continue their conversation.

 

He seemed surprised but accepted. 

 

“The risk is why Poe does all his own stunts,” Rey said as she set a steeping cup of tea down in front of her impromptu guest. “Because he was a stunt guy. He won’t let anyone take unnecessary risks for him when he can do it himself.” She settled down at the kitchen table across from him with her own cup and lifted it to her lips, savoring the fragrant steam rising to her nostrils. 

 

“But that bothers you.” He stated, watching her, and Rey put her cup down, cutting off the sip she was about to take. 

 

“It does,” she admitted softly, eyes focused on the amber liquid in her mug. “But he has his reasons. I give him shit but I respect him and why he does it.”

 

He tilted his head to the side, considering her. Rey met his gaze, unsure if he was going to agree or disagree or say something else entirely. 

 

“You’re very protective of him.” 

 

Something else entirely then. 

 

She nodded, taking a welcome sip of her tea before replying. “We’re protective of each other. Which is why I didn’t tell him about what you said before. He might have killed you.” Matt had the decency to look contrite. Rey offered a remorseful smile. “Sorry.” 

 

“It’s fine. I deserve that. If you don’t mind me asking,” he added, “why are you so protective of each other?”

 

Rey pressed her lips together tightly as she looked at Matt. The others knew about her and Poe and Matt seemed to be there for the long haul. He might as well know, too. It wasn’t like it was a huge secret. 

 

“We met at the hospital,” she began. “He was there for a broken arm after stunt gone wrong and I had gotten hurt working on a car. I worked for my uncle at his auto shop. He and his business partner, Unkar. That’s where I learned about cars. Uncle Obi said I had a knack for it.” A fond smile flickered across her face. 

 

“How’d you get hurt?” He asked, concerned about an injury that had healed years ago.

 

Rey considered him, wondering how open she wanted to be. She looked into his eyes, those chocolate brown eyes that were her only clue to his real feelings. They looked back at her with patience, not expectant but willing to accept anything she gave. For some reason it was enough to release what she held back.

 

“After my uncle died I lived in a little room above the shop. I continued working for Unkar.” She wrinkled her nose. “On the day I met Poe, Unkar was drunk as fuck, which wasn’t unusual, but he’d decided to roll into the shop while I was working and get in my way. One thing led to another and he grabbed my arm. I wasn’t having that so I shoved him away. He pushed back and I stumbled against the car I was working on.”

 

She noticed Matt stiffen and, though it was nearly imperceptible, tighten his grip on the mug he held. Rey looked at that hand. Tiny scars skittered across his knuckles. Like he’d rubbed his hand across a cheese grater. 

 

“The door to the car was open and I banged my head against it. Knocked me out.” Rey heaved a weary sigh. A long time had passed since the last time she had told the story and it took its toll. “When I came to, Unkar was gone and I was bleeding. I got myself to the hospital. It was a quick patch - the cut wasn’t very deep, but it did leave a scar. Thankfully my hair covers it.” She tapped the side of her head where the injury had left its mark. 

 

He was silent for a moment. “Had he touched you before?” he asked, an menacing edge to his voice that made her shiver. 

 

“No,” she responded slowly. “But… He wasn’t kind.” She gone this far, she thought, might as well be honest about everything. “He _was_ abusive, just not physically. He called me worthless, a burden - nothing.”

 

The mug he was holding cracked and broke beneath his hand and Rey jumped up to get a towel to staunch the flood of tea that now spread over her table. 

 

“I’m sorry.” He muttered, standing so abruptly he accidentally knocked his chair over. “Fuck!” he hissed. 

 

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Rey waved a hand dismissively as she returned and set the cloth over the mess. “I guess that one had just been through the dishwasher one too many times.”

 

She knew he’d broken it with his hand strength alone. Which should have scared her but didn’t. Maybe that made her depraved. She wasn’t sure. 

 

He pulled the chair back up but left a red mark on the back. Blood. “Matt!” She exclaimed, rushing to his side. She grabbed his injured palm, holding it tightly and glaring up at him when he attempted to pull it away. “It’s not a bad cut but let me fix it.” She snapped. He worked his mouth but relaxed his hand. 

 

Rey guided him back into his chair. “Leave it palm up.” She instructed before heading off to get the apartment’s first aid kit. When she returned she immediately set to work, not bothering to sit. It was a shallow cut across the fleshy part underneath his thumb and easy to clean. He didn’t flinch when she cleaned the wound with the alcohol wipe. She lay a Band-Aid across the cut, pressing the edges gently to secure it.

 

“I’m sorry, Rey.” He said, his deep voice cracking in a way that twisted her heart. “I never should have… I didn’t know… There’s no excuse.” He bowed his head, his dark hair falling over his face. Rey looked to his injured hand and brushed her fingertips across his calloused ones. They moved at her touch, reaching for her, but Rey quickly withdrew her hand and his fist clenched. She cleared her throat and started to clean up the medical supplies, needing a distraction. 

  
“Anyway. Back to Poe and I.” She snapped the first aid kit shut and sat down with a puff of breath. Matt raised his head, his expression blank. Too blank to be natural but it gave Rey the ability to continue.

 

“So, we met at the hospital. I wasn’t going back to Unkar and he was depressed, frustrated with his career, had gotten brutally dumped. I don’t know how it happened,” she allowed herself to smile at the memory. “I suggested some things he should do, just off the cuff, but he said I could be his manager. He helped me through uni and helped me get naturalized. And I helped him too. He went through a lot of shit in those days. It’s hard for a stunt man to break through and make his own way. He had to convince a lot of people he had the acting chops and charisma to be a leading man. There were a lot of hard days for the both of us, but we did it. Now look at him. Can barely get him to shut up.” She laughed but sobered a second later. “The first car accident on the set of his first starring roll. We’d gotten close and I almost lost him. So yeah, I’m protective of him. He’s like my brother. My family. All of them are.”

 

There was silence between them for a minute. Rey could hardly believe she’d confessed so much of her past to a man who, barely a month before, she’d cursed as a scoundrel. It had taken her months to admit to Rose and Finn what had happened with Unkar but Matt had coaxed it out of her with one look from his puppy dog eyes.

 

_Damn him,_ Rey thought - without ire - as she watched him gaze at the forgotten tea spill. 

 

“Thank you.” He broke the quiet first. “For trusting me with all of this.” 

 

The sincerity in his voice was a relief. “Thank you for listening.” She whispered. Matt pulled his face away from the spill to look at her with searching eyes.

 

“I scared you at the cafe…” he stopped, swallowed, mouth working again. “Were you afraid that I would hurt you?”

 

Rey opened her mouth and closed it a couple times, taken aback by the question. She sifted through her feelings that day, piecing together what she had felt at his outburst. 

 

“No.” She blurted and was surprised by the conviction in her own voice. “I mean, I _was_ afraid - maybe afraid is the wrong word - but not _of_ you. You were acting weird and I didn’t know why. But I didn’t think you would touch me.”

 

His shoulders sagged in what had to be relief.

 

“Good. Rey, if I ever say anything like that…” He paused and Rey clasped her hands together tightly in her lap as he locked eyes with her. “I _won’t_ say anything like that ever again. And no matter how angry I may seem, I would never touch you.” He finished. “I promise.”

 

Rey believed him. Heaven help her, she believed him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all are gonna get two chapters this week bc i had to cut this one in half. it was close to 6k words. i'm still not sure if i'm happy with this section but oh well. 
> 
> *hides beneath couch as i await reactions*


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised another chapter this week and here it is! Enjoy!

 

After their heart to heart Agent K and Rey got along better than they had before. He didn’t know why such a miracle was given to him but not only did she forgive him, she became his friend.

 

He was simultaneously grateful and horrified.

 

And burned with the desire to take Unkar Plutt and shove him into the darkest hole K could find. Death was too good for the bastard.

 

Regardless of that, from that point on every moment with her was easy - bar the arguments that would occur whenever K yanked Dameron from his bed or wrestled him to the floor when the actor resisted leaving his house. But that was normal. 

 

Rose was just as surprised at the quick development. Rey didn’t usually forgive so easily, even with Rose’s advice. And considering what K had said, it was a damn miracle. 

 

“She must _really_ like you,” she said. As they were discussing it in K’s warehouse one night - as Rose was trying to hack into First Order’s mainframe; she’d been working with him for days but the company’s algorithm eluded her - she admitted that she felt guilty about her part in it. Even though what Rose had told Rey was as close to the truth as she was allowed to tell, it was still too close to a lie.

 

K assured her that nothing would come of it. Rey would never know and he was

 

going to respect her boundary of friendship. Rose’s response was a less than convinced ‘sure, Jan’.

 

That was enough, he argued, now that Rose knew who he was and why he was there. He would make sure it was enough. 

 

Not long after that conversation he, Rey, and Rose sat in Dameron’s trailer while the actor napped during a break on set. They were at the kitchenette table, the girls discoing what information should go up on the website while K read the L.A. Times. The actor was laying on a large couch across from them, an orange satin sleep mask over his eyes which clashed with the homeless man wardrobe he wore. He coughed, a snore catching in his throat, and K heard repressed giggles from his companions.

 

It was the simplest and most domestic moment he had ever experienced. An air of contentment surrounded them which was completely foreign to him, but not unwelcome. 

 

But the peace was broken when Finn burst through the door of the trailer with a wild shout. 

 

“Poe! You’re presenting at the Supremacy Awards!” He yelled. Dameron snorted and sat up, fingers scrambling to take off his face mask. K hadn’t seen him move so quickly off-set… ever. 

 

“You’re shitting me!” 

 

Finn grinned and threw the large, expensive-looking envelope at his boss. “Nope! Congrats!”

 

Dameron flung himself off the couch to catch the envelope. He ripped it open and quickly scanned the contents.“Aw, shit!” He snapped and threw the envelope down on the table K and the others sat at. “I have to co-present.”

 

Rey clicked her tongue and reached for the paper at the same time K did. Their fingers brushed and he couldn’t resist pressing the letter into the table, preventing her from taking it. They played a silent game of tug-o-war for a second before he relented with a playful grin. He watched her face redden and she yanked her hand back, crumpling the envelope a little as she did. 

 

Rose huffed a frustrated breath which K ignored in order to keep his eyes on Rey’s adorable blush. It was a friendly tease; no reason for her to be embarrassed. Unless she thought he was flirting. If she thought he was flirting, surely she would have shut him down. Unless it was an idea she wasn’t opposed to. 

 

“Don’t be a baby, Poe,” Rey chided, carefully avoiding K’s searching gaze, much to his amusement. “Nearly everyone has to." 

 

“Yeah, but look who my partner is,” Dameron tapped the letter with his finger. “Aurra Sing.”

 

Finn, Rey, and Rose collectively groaned. 

 

“Who’s Aurra Sing?” K asked with a frown, successfully distracted from Rey. He sifted through all the information he had on Dameron and his associates but that name was not among them. 

 

“A straight up bitch.” Rose responded dourly. “She was Poe’s co-star in one of his early films and never let a chance go to let him know she was the bigger star or that he was just a stunt guy, not an actor.”

 

Finn scowled. “She made me get her coffee and then dumped it out on the ground. Right in front me! Didn’t even pay me back.” K wondered what had made Finn think she would in the first place. 

 

“We haven’t worked together since.” Dameron supplied. “I’ve surpassed her anyway.” He sniffed. “I’m not doing it.”

 

Rey rolled her eyes. “Don’t be a child, of course you’re doing it.”

 

“I am not!”

 

“Yes, you are!”

 

“No!”

 

“You get to go to Canady’s after party,” Rey exclaimed. “You have to go! He’s an important producer!”

 

Dameron’s face scrunched tightly in a way K was sure could be one of those meme’s Finn was always sending him. “NO!”

 

They proceeded to argue back and forth, the other two interjecting their opinions every now and then. Finn sided with Rey, Rose agreed with Dameron. Sometimes they switched. K was fairly certain the couple was just messing with the other two, not really having a stake in the discussion. The conversation wasn’t heated but Dameron was definitely unhappy by the circumstances. In the midst of it K’s phone rang - Lando’s tone - and he made his excuses as he slid off his seat. Rey looked at him curiously before turning her attention back to Dameron after a heightened and dramatic exclamation.

 

“What is it, Lando?” K asked icily after stepping out of the trailer. The group’s voices could be heard loud and clear through the open door.

 

“Are you still- What’s all that racket?”

 

K glanced behind him and smirked, pleased the little group had irritated his handler. “The entourage. Dameron has to co-present at the Supremacy Awards and he’s not happy. He’s trying to get out of it. Hey, did you get my present?” 

 

That box of neon green Crocs should have arrived by now. 

 

“Yes. You’re paying for my new prescription after blinding me with those eyesores.” Lando grumbled. “Back to the Supremacy Awards. That’s hosted by one of Snoke’s companies, K.” The agent scowled. That would have been good information to have in his mission briefing. He was getting tired of these mistakes - there had been too many for it to have been mere incompetence. “Has Dameron been invited to Moden Canady’s after party?” Lando asked, excitement edging his voice. 

 

“Yes,” K replied slowly, recalling Rey’s words. “What of it?”

 

“He has to go. _You_ have to go.”

 

K gripped the new phone -the replacement for the one he ruined after the coffee shop - harder. “Won’t that be a risk to my cover? You know, all the cameras?” He growled. 

 

“Canady is one of Snoke’s top commanders.” Lando snapped. “He always holds the after party at his house. Where there is valuable information pertinent to our mission. You have to get in there. Which means Dameron has to go.”

 

“You enjoy making my life difficult, don’t you.” K pinched the bridge of his nose.

 

A chuckle came down the line. “It’s just so easy. Come on, K. It’ll be fun. You get to dress in a tux and drink expensive champagne while hobnobbing with movie stars. Sounds like a perfect night.”

 

“I’d rather go back to Sarajevo.” K deadpanned, recalling the time where he had been systematically electrocuted for information. He hadn’t broken. He never broke. But babysitting Dameron through an awards ceremony _and_ a party? That was real torture.

 

“Have you been taking lessons from Dameron or have you always been this dramatic?” Lando quipped. “Get to it, K. Contact me after the party. I have no doubt you’ll find something at Canady’s.”

 

At that he hung up and K was left hanging onto a silent phone. He geared himself up for the next step and stepped back into the trailer, where he was beset with a distraught Dameron, who gripped his arm and dragged him back to the table. 

 

“Matt! You’re my only hope! Tell these tyrants I won’t go to the awards! There’s got to be a security issue or something!” 

 

“Ah,” K looked at the weary faces of the other three members of the group and back to Dameron - he’d experienced less pressure being waterboarded in Indonesia. “Mr. Dameron-”

 

“Ew, Mr. Dameron?” The actor grimaced. “Is that what you always call me?” 

 

K blinked. “Y-yes…”

 

Dameron shook his head. “No. Call me Poe. Call me Poe and tell those people,” he waved at Rey, Finn, and Rose, “that I’m not going.” He put an arm around K’s shoulders, but their height difference forced the embrace lower, to K’s upper arms. He struggled not to shrug Poe’s constricting hold off. 

 

“Actually, uh, Poe,” K cleared his throat, “I think… I think you should go.” 

 

The gasp and look of betrayal Poe emitted could have won him an Oscar and he released Agent K like he’d just grown a second head. The other three in the room howled with victory. Rey was particularly pleased, K noticed.

 

“Well, it’s four against one, Poe,” she announced. “I guess you’re going.”

 

“Nooooo,” Poe slumped on the couch and buried his face in the pillows. “Aurra’s gonna be impossible.” He lamented, voice muffled. 

 

K whispered a curse at the ceiling. He needed Poe to be one hundred percent on attending. “If she gets out of hand,” he directed at Poe’s prone body, “I’ll deal with her.” 

 

The actor blinked open one eye to look at K. “You will?”

 

“You will?” Rey repeated incredulously. 

 

“I will.” K promised with clenched fists. 

 

There was a beat of silence. Then Poe burst into uproarious laughter. 

 

“Oh!” He gasped. “I’ll go! I’ll go just to see you put a stink bomb up her dress!” 

 

A chorus of dismay met his declaration. 

 

“POE!” Rey exclaimed in horror. 

 

“Lighten up,” he pouted. “You guys won! I’m going. With my good buddy, Matt.” He grinned up at K, who managed a long-suffering half smile in return. 

 

“Wait,” Rey perked up. “Does that mean I don’t have to go?” K shot a look at her, terrified at the prospect he might have to go with Poe alone. 

 

But he needn’t have worried. Poe shook his head, his grin turning devious. “You’re going. You’re definitely going, Rey Niima.” 

 

She groaned and planted her forehead on the table. Rose rubbed her back consolingly but K sighed in relief. Finn looked like he was about to pop a vein from holding in laughter. 

 

“It’s okay, Rey,” Rose said. “I’ll take the next one.” 

 

Rey lifted her head and glared at Rose. “You like going to these things. It’s not a chore for you.” K slipped back into his seat beside Rey as she spoke. She glanced at him but didn’t pause. “But if it gets Mr. Drama Queen over there to go, then fine.”

 

“I’m not being a drama queen right now about going to a party that _you_ told me I should go to.” Poe stalked over to the table and leaned on it. “Matt was kind enough to offer his support. Why can’t you do the same, Rey? You wound me.”

 

Rey stuck out her tongue and K had a hard time repressing a smile. Finn had no qualms about barking out a laugh. 

 

“Do you have a suit?” Poe directed the question at K. “Like a tuxedo?”

 

The agent scowled. He’d worn plenty of tuxedo’s in his day but he hadn’t thought to bring one for this mission. 

 

“No, I do not.” He replied with dread. Poe’s delighted expression had him worried. 

 

“Great!” The actor rubbed his hands together. “I know just the thing for you! Now, if none of you mind,” he stepped toward the exit. “I have a movie to make. Toodles!” He waved a hand as walked through the door of the trailer. 

 

K glanced around at the remaining members of the entourage. “Will I get any say in what suit I wear?” he asked and they shook their heads. 

 

“Nope.” Rose replied, an all-too knowing grin on her face. “Not a word.”

 

Rey looked at him sympathetically. “Don’t worry. Poe’s actually really good at picking clothes.”

 

“Yeah.” Finn nodded. “But he may not let you wear red socks.”

 

K shifted his feet defensively at the idea of his red socks being taken from him. Rey edged toward him. 

 

“Afraid your feet might get cold?” she teased. “I’ll get you some replacements.”

 

The agent shifted to face her and leaned in, narrowing his eyes as he prepared his revenge. 

 

“I’m not sure you could find any long enough.” He replied casually. 

 

Rey’s eyes widened and she cast a glance southward. He didn’t miss that Rose did too and that almost broke his straight face. 

 

“Oh damn!” Finn roared with laughter, throwing his head back. 

 

But K only had eyes for the flush on Rey’s freckled face as she directed her gaze to the tabletop to avoid his gaze. His thoughts turned to how much he wanted to taste every single one of those little dots. A siren went off in his head, a warning that had become all too familiar to him over the last few weeks. It was one thing to seduce for a _mission_ ; quite another to _want_ that person. 

 

The thought drowned the good mood he’d been enjoying and he glanced at Rose, who’s smile faded at whatever she saw on his face. 

 

“Hey,” she spoke up, putting a hand on her guffawing boyfriend’s shoulder. “I’m starving. Let’s get R2’s for lunch.”

 

Finn immediately sobered at the promise of food and jumped up. “I’ll drive!” He announced. 

 

“Rey, could you go with him please?” Rose asked. 

 

“Why do I have to go?” Rey pouted. “I’ve got things to do.”

 

“Yeah, like making sure Finn gets my milkshake right, _unlike_ last time.” Rose glared at the man in question. 

 

“Hey,” he raised his hands defensively. “Not my fault you like complicated shit in your ice cream.”

 

Rey got up and K stood to let her pass. Her hand brushed against his and he stiffened, but she didn’t notice. “Oh fine,” she said. “Don’t start arguing. I’ll go.” 

 

They took Rose and K’s orders and left the trailer together. K caught Rey’s backward glance before she stepped out. A shy smile played at her lips and his breath caught. But guilt and bitterness wrapped their gnarly fingers around his heart, smothering the sunshine she directed toward him. 

 

The person Rey smiled at wasn’t him, but Matt the bodyguard, a kind, straightforward kind of man - albeit with a temper. Agent K was a liar and a killer, a manipulator and thief. Working for the good guys didn’t excuse what he had done. She deserved better.

 

“Hey, big guy,” Rose tapped him on the shoulder. “You’re looking kind of morose there.” 

 

He didn’t look at her, his gaze lingering on where Rey had been. His shoulders folded inward - he was… tired. Exhausted. 

 

“I’m compromised, Rose.” He murmured. He didn’t know why he was telling her this. Maybe because she was the only normal person who knew who - what - he was. “I thought it would pass. My handler said it happens sometimes. But not like this.” He finally turned. He hated the way the emotions bubbled up to the surface and made his voice shake. “Not like this.”

 

K couldn’t bare the pity in Rose’s eyes. He looked away, jaw tight as he worked through the shame of his weakness. 

 

“Hey.” Her tone was gentle but firm. He still couldn’t raise his head but he did tilt it in her direction. “You’re still a person, Agent K. It’s okay for you to have feelings.”

 

He shook his head. “No. I’m not a person.” He corrected. “I’m a ghost. We don’t exist. But she…” he stuttered. “She makes me want to exist.”

 

Rose let out her breath in a whoosh. “You have it bad, Secret Agent Man. Real bad. I wish I could help you.” She added gently. He appreciated the genuine sincerity in her voice. “But I don’t know how.”

 

K straightened up, pulling his shoulders back against the weight that would drag them forward. 

 

“You don’t need to.” He said. “It’s not your responsibility. I have to go find Damer- Poe. Come on. You shouldn’t be alone.” He held out a hand to guide her out. She looked at him for a moment, sympathy flickering over her face, before nodding and walking out before him. He followed and closed the trailer door behind them. 

 

He forced himself to push the emotions and vulnerability down, down to the vault they had escaped from. He had a job to do. Protect Rose and take out Snoke.

 

_Rey is a means to an end_ , he thought harshly, _just a means to an end_.

 

It was the most transparent lie he’d ever told.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! It's after party time! It's gonna be a two-chapter deal, but I won't have the next one up for another week and half. I'm going to Disney World this week and so won't have the time nor the means to publish. But I have most of the next chapter written out so it should go up quickly when I get back!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

 

“How is Agent K doing?”

 

Lando straightened the lapels of his blue suit, brushing off a piece of lint, before he answered Amilyn’s question. 

 

“He’s making progress.” Lando flashed his signature smile at The Agency’s director. “But he’s a little…” Lando paused. He needed to phrase his next words carefully. “Frustrated… by the recent, ah, snafus. I have to say, Amilyn, so am I.” 

 

Agent K’s briefing had not been complete. Not knowing about Tico had been one thing - she was a hacker after all, able to wipe any presence away with a click of a button - but other details had slipped through that shouldn’t have. Like Moden Canady’s involvement. K hadn’t known. Lando shouldn’t have needed to explain who Canady was to him. It should have already been in the file. 

 

His agent had gone in without a full arsenal. Lando wanted to know why. 

 

Amilyn pressed her lips together and folded her hands on her desk. “I understand, Agent Calrissian. And I have people looking into it.”

 

_People looking into it_. If that wasn’t a dismissal then Lando would eat his blue suede shoes. 

 

Lando crossed his legs and leaned back in his seat, affecting a laissez-faire posture. 

 

“Who?” He asked innocently, deciding to test his boundaries. “I’d like to check in with them.”

 

“You don’t need to do that, Lando.” Amilyn replied with a tight smile. “I have the best people working on it. It’s probably just a computer issue anyway. No need to waste your time. You have more important things to worry about.”

 

_She’s really brushing me off, eh?_

 

Lando kept his expression nonchalant, trying to tamper the instinct inside him that was shouting there was something wrong. 

 

“Good, good. Then I won’t!” He replied and marked how Amilyn relaxed. “So. K’s next steps…”

 

Amilyn nodded. “Yes. Is he any closer to finding out what Snoke is planning on doing with the satellite?”

 

“I believe so. He’s…” Lando paused, warning bells going off again, but again he silenced them. He was just being paranoid - an occupational hazard. If he couldn’t trust Amilyn, he couldn’t trust anyone. “He’s infiltrating Moden Canady’s home,” he forced himself to continue. “Dameron has been invited. I expect Agent K will find something valuable there.”

 

Lando’s mouth went dry as he finished and he couldn’t shake the feeling he’d just made a mistake, no matter how hard he tried. Amilyn was saying something but he wasn’t listening. He watched her, looking for any sign of… of what he didn’t know. He made the decision to look into it. If there was nothing, then he could move on and Amilyn would be none the wiser. 

 

But if there was _anything_ that threatened Ben and his mission, Lando would find it and he would stop it. 

 

* * *

 

Supremacy Awards day arrived in the Dameron household with a fanfare that could have rivaled a royal coronation. K knew - he’d been witness to a coronation or two. 

 

When K arrived at the house that afternoon he was met by Finn holding a black clothes bag which, he was told, contained his tux for that evening. 

 

Poe came hurtling down the stairs at that moment and skidded to a stop beside his assistant. 

 

“Finally! I thought you’d died!” He exclaimed with a roll of his eyes and tugged the bag away from his assistant. Finn raised his hands in mock surrender and stepped back. Poe unzipped the bag, perused the contents, nodded in satisfaction, then thrust it into Agent K’s arms and pushed him toward the stairs. 

 

“Go on! Get changed in one of the guest bedrooms.”

 

K checked his wristwatch. There were still two hours to go before they had to leave for the ceremony.

 

“I need to get ready now?” He asked, a brow raised. He wouldn’t need even an hour to dress.

 

Poe folded his arms across his chest with a scowl. “Yes, you have to get ready now. I’ll need to make sure everything’s in order. Don’t worry. You’ll like it.”

 

“What’s to like?” K snorted incredulously. “It’s a black suit.” 

 

He swore Dameron had murder in his eyes. “Go. Put. It. On.” The actor said through gritted teeth. 

 

K passed a look at Finn - who had covered his mouth with his hand and was trying very hard not to laugh - before he climbed up the stairs to do as he was told, highly doubting that the suit would be any different from the plethora of tuxedos and nice suits he had worn in the past.

 

But as he stared at his reflection in the full length mirror of one of Poe’s guest room’s after putting the tux on, K was surprised. The actor had somehow gotten the exact style K would have picked for himself - more observant that The Agency’s costumers. Black suit, shirt, and tie. No color except for K’s own red socks (Poe hadn’t protested at K’s request to wear them, much to everyone’s surprise). The agent had worn a few tuxedo’s on his missions, but this one was… him. He shook his head and pivoted away from the mirror. Dameron must have been rubbing off on him. 

 

He exited the bedroom and made his way downstairs to join the others. Departure time was in a few minutes - it had taken longer than K had thought to put the suit on because Poe had burst into the room halfway through and insisted on ‘fixing’ a few things, which had caused a delay. They were no on the verge of being late and K needed to make sure Poe and Rey made it to the ceremony on time. He heard Poe and Finn talking in the living room but there was no sign of Rey when he entered. K opened his mouth to ask where she was but Poe interrupted. 

 

“Do I know you, or do I know you?” His ‘boss’ stood up from his spot on the couch and grinned as K paused in the doorway. “That suit is perfect.” He slapped Finn’s shoulder. “I’m so good.”

 

Finn rolled his eyes but offered an encouraging smile to K. “You do look good, Matt.”

 

“He looks good because of me!” Poe exclaimed, stepping up to and walking around K appraisingly, nodding in satisfaction. The agent raised a brow and twisted his head to follow the actor’s movements. The man was acting as if he were Versace. 

 

“We all like to admire his ass, Poe, but you don’t need to be so blatant about it.” Rose quipped as she made her appearance in the living room. K’s ears burned and he glared at the petite woman. She smiled sweetly and flounced over to her boyfriend and collapsed beside him on the couch. 

 

“Ah ha ha.” Poe swung an arm across K’s shoulders. “Matt gets it. Don’t you, bro?” He didn’t wait for K to answer, not that the agent had one to give, reeling from the familiarity with which Poe spoke. “Anyway. Where’s Rey?”

 

“Finishing up.” Rose replied, then added with a pout: “Why can’t Finn and I go again?” 

 

“Babe…” Finn shook his head. 

 

Poe walked over, his hands in his pants pockets. “I told you already. I was only given three tickets. You know why I want Rey there and Matt’s my bodyguard. Plus he promised to embarrass Aurra.”

 

“I didn’t say that.” K protested, stepping forward with a hand raised. But no one was listening. 

 

“Fiiiine. But I wanna go the next one.” Rose sniffed. 

 

“You can have this one if you want, Rose.” K heard Rey as she appeared in the doorway behind him. “I really don’t mind. Please take it!”

 

K shut his mouth tightly to prevent the laughter from spilling out at the desperation in Rey’s voice and turned to tease her about it. But all jokes flew out of his head when he saw her. 

 

The dress was a green chiffon creation that flowed from her body ethereally as she moved; it was cinched at the waist to accentuate her figure. The dress bore a high neckline that ended mid-throat but bared her beautiful shoulders and back. She wore her hair in low chignon, a few wisps left loose to frame her face. K noticed she kept make-up to a minimum, although Rose must have talked her into the smoky eye that brought out the hazel in her eyes. 

 

Rey was already beautiful and he couldn’t care less what she wore, but K could not deny that she looked exquisite.

 

She must have noticed him staring because a becoming blush suffused her cheeks and she darted past him to sit beside Rose. K followed her with his eyes and they trailed to Rose, whose looked right at him with a smug expression. 

 

He was being too obvious. K quickly dragged his gaze away from the couch and checked his watch. Mercifully it was time to leave. 

 

“Let’s go.” He announced, moving to the door. “The car’s waiting.” 

 

“Alright! Time to watch Aurra get smoke-bombed!” Poe rubbed his hands together gleefully then straightened his black velvet jacket. 

 

Rey pinched Poe’s arm as she joined him, her blush replaced with a deep scowl. “Shut up and get in the car.”

 

The actor chuckled. “Yes ma’am.”

 

The troupe moved together to the town car idling in Poe’s driveway. K opened the rear door for Rey and Poe to enter. As Rey gathered her skirts to slide in after Poe, K offered his hand for her to take.

 

She seemed startled by the move and turned wide eyes on him. K nearly drew his hand away, anxious he had overstepped, but she took it and squeezed it before disappearing into the car. 

 

K fought a smile as he closed the door. When he turned to get into the driver’s seat, he again caught Rose’s eye. Finn had already returned to the house but she remained on the grand front porch. She walked up to him and put a hand on his arm and he paused before opening the car door. 

 

“Have fun storming the castle.” She joked - he had told her his plan for the night, warned her he would need her help after - but then her face became serious. “Take care of Rey.”

 

“I will.” He promised, firmly squeezing her hand with his. Rose peered at him for a moment before she nodded and stepped back. K opened the car door and was about to step inside when she spoke again. 

 

“I meant it.”

 

He frowned. “Meant what?”

 

A grin spread across Rose’s face. “Have _fun_. It’s a party, sweetie. You can let loose a _little_.”

 

She pivoted and returned to the house. The corners of K’s mouth tugged up involuntarily. Lando’s people were watching Dameron’s house and Rose for the night. Maybe he could relax a little. 

 

Just a little. 

 

****

 

“I can’t believe you did that, Poe.” K looked in the rearview mirror to see Rey with a hand over her face, shaking her head. He glanced at Poe in the seat beside her. The actor had his arms folded across his chest defensively and his eyes were staunchly on the window. “You can’t just go off the fucking teleprompter!”

 

“She asked me a question!” Poe exclaimed, finally twisting to face Rey. She raised her head and K shivered at the withering look she gave her boss. He though he’d known what a pissed off Rey looked like but this was another level. 

 

“Why are you like this?” She asked sullenly. 

 

Poe gave her a roguish grin. “Lovably mischievous? It’s a gift.”

 

K snorted at that and ended up on the receiving end of Rey’s death glare. He quickly turned his gaze to the road but that didn’t stop her from berating him. 

 

“You didn’t help.” 

 

“What’d I do?” K exclaimed, flicking his eyes back to the mirror. He hadn’t done a damn thing to encourage Poe’s stunt. 

 

“You gave him the confidence!” She sputtered. “All that nonsense about ‘taking care’ of Aurra if she got out of hand! Bloody hell! You practically _told_ him to pull this shit!”

 

The shit being that when Aurra had rattled off her lines - _“Poe, I don’t think I’ve seen a more dazzling array of stars!”_ \- Poe had replied with the unscripted: 

 

_“Because you always have your head up your own ass.”_

 

The audience had erupted into laughter but Rey had been… less than amused. 

 

She was downright livid. 

 

“She was being a bitch before the show, anyway.” Poe interjected. “Besides, the cameras were on a delay.”

 

Rey growled in frustration. “That’s not that point! You might have seriously jeopardized support for the movie because you can’t control your giant mouth!”

 

“That’s what she said.” 

 

“POE!” 

 

The massive mansion that made up Canady’s estate appeared at that moment and K nearly laughed in relief as he drove the town car through the iron gates that separated Canady’s driveway from the street. 

 

“We’re there.” He announced, hoping the argument would end before they reached the door. 

 

Rey sat back in her seat and crossed her arms. “At least we’ll get a chance to do damage control. You _will_ be apologizing to Aurra!” She poked Poe in the arm. 

 

“Uh, no.” Poe replied with an incredulous laugh. “No I won’t.”

 

But he did.

 

As soon as Rey saw Aurra speaking with a famous director in Canady’s red and black tiled foyer, she dragged Poe over and forced him to apologize. She moved so quickly K had to rush to keep up, impressed by the speed Rey managed in her heels. 

 

After that the two started to mingle and schmooze and K lost track of them, but it worked in his favor. There were a million people roaming around Canady’s ostentatious marbled corridors, milling through any space open to the public. He was easily lost in the crowd and could surveil inconspicuously. 

 

The first thing he noted was that Canady had a large security detail. 

 

Too large for a producer having a party. 

 

The second thing was that most of the security was focused on a particular stairwell near the end of the foyer. 

 

_So what’s he hiding up there?_ K maneuvered past a group of already drunk guests and into the lavish ballroom - an open space with a grand chandelier hanging from the ceiling and surrounded by round, white marble pillars decorated with blood-red drapery.

 

First Order colors, K realized grimly. 

 

He’d need to figure out a way past the guards stationed at the stairs. A distraction was required. Maybe he could convince Poe to do something… the actor was always looking for an excuse to cause trouble. It wouldn’t take much to persuade him to help K. Rey was already mad at him. One more stunt wouldn’t make a different.

 

He paused near a table piled high with small plates of desserts and surveyed the room for his quarry. 

 

Aurra Sing was in one corner, laughing with one of Poe’s producers. Rey wouldn’t like that. 

 

K’s gaze passed over the band and DJ, over the groups dancing in the center of the room, to the open bar. 

 

Ah, there he was. Talking up the mayor of Los Angeles with a glass of whiskey. The two men were laughing like old friends. Maybe that would appease Rey after K convinced Poe to help him. It was inevitable Poe would gloat about it. 

 

Speaking of Rey…

 

K moved narrowed eyes back over the crowd on the dance floor in search of a green dress. He saw the swish of chiffon skirts in the corner of his eye and turned his head to catch her as she passed. 

 

_Shit._

 

Moden Canady was dancing with Rey. K’s spine locked as he watched Snoke’s general sway around the floor with her; if he’d had his rifle he might have shot the man dead. He fought with himself over the desire to interrupt - he needed to get to Canady’s office while the man was distracted and this was the perfect opportunity, even if it twisted his gut like a bad meal. He could grab Poe and throw him at the guards without anyone being the wiser. 

 

He cursed under his breath and made for Poe until he saw the hand Canady had on Rey’s waist trail dangerously close to her ass. Rey stiffened and lifted that hand back up to a more modest place on her back. Canady’s expression was less than pleased and he said something K couldn’t make out. A second later Rey had stepped out of his hold and was making her way off the dance floor, face flushed in anger. The scorned Canady followed her, hands fisted at his side. 

 

Nothing else registered in K’s head except for Rey’s safety and before he knew what he was doing he was at Rey’s side, one arm slipping around her waist. 

 

“There you are, sweetheart,” K exclaimed. “You promised me a dance, remember?”

 

She started and looked up in surprise but said nothing to betray his lie. K glanced at Canady - who had stopped at the intrusion - and smiled too politely before taking Rey’s hand and twirling her across the dance floor in time to the waltz that played.

 

Rey glanced back at Canady and grimaced. “Another asshole.” She muttered then looked wryly up at K as she rested her free hand on his shoulder. “I didn’t need you to rescue me. And what’s with the sweetheart business?”

 

K scowled. “I know,” he said defensively. He did know. She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. He’d seen it a dozen times. But he had realized after he’d gone after Ohnaka that he didn’t have a tether when it came to her. “Don’t friends pretend to be their friend’s significant other to get help them get away from a creep? Or maybe I just wanted to dance with you.”

 

She laughed at that. “Right. I guess I should thank you. From one friend to another.” 

 

He gave a curt nod. The waltz shifted to a faster tempo and he splayed his hand across her back to support her as he lead them in time with it, drawing her closer. He was pleased to see that she accepted the change with grace - the perfect partner. She was a surprisingly good dancer. While she was obviously athletic, that didn’t necessarily translate to musicality. But there was not one beat of the music or cue K gave that she missed. 

 

“Where did you learn how to dance?” He asked, curious. She pursed her lips together, like she was unsure if she wanted to answer. He squeezed her hand gently in encouragement and she snorted. 

 

“Poe taught me,” she admitted. “After he caught me pretending to be a contestant on Dancing with the Stars.” She blushed and looked at floor. K choked on a laugh and lifted his chin to hide the grin that threatened his composure. Her head shot up. “Don’t laugh at me!” She cried. 

 

“I’m not!” He looked down at her face - red as a tomato - and his grin broke through. “I’m not laughing!” 

 

“You’re a dick.” She shook her head but he could see she was fighting her own smile. “What about you? Who taught you to dance?”

 

K fought the flood of memories which broke through the carefully constructed dam in his mind. “My-” K cleared his throat to force the words out, “my mother taught me.”

 

“She’s a very good teacher.” Rey commented softly, giving him an understanding look. She couldn’t understand, he thought. She would never understand. 

 

“She is.” He murmured, unable to say more. It was a miracle he’d said as much as he had. Normally he would have shrugged off the question or made it a neutral ‘dancing lessons’. But he hadn’t wanted to lie to Rey. He’d already done enough of that. On this he could afford the truth, even if it hurt to say. 

 

The dance shifted from the waltz as a singer with a lilting tone appeared on the band’s platform and began singing _Love Me Tender._ K slowed to match the new tempo. He should have stopped and let Rey go. He had a mission, a time sensitive assignment. But as the first bar played he noticed Canady across the room, his eyes trained on K and Rey. The agent lowered his head to whisper in Rey’s ear.

 

“You should step closer to me.” He didn’t miss the shudder that passed through her as his lips brushed the shell of her ear. “Our lecherous host is watching.”

 

Rey, K was proud to note, refrained from looking in Canady’s direction and followed K’s suggestion without hesitation. She stepped into him so that they stood chest to chest, and tucked her cheek against his shoulder, her free arm sliding across the back of his shoulders. 

 

“Like this?” she murmured. 

 

K swallowed and nodded, fighting to keep his composure and remain alert despite the distraction of her closeness. “Perfect,” he replied quietly. “The only thing men like that respect is territory. Make him think you’re someone else’s, he’ll leave you alone.”

 

Rey snorted dubiously but nonetheless held the embrace. He pressed their clasped hands to his heart and rested his chin against her temple; her shoes raised her height enough that he could so without bending his neck. He moved them in slow circles, barely shifting his feet as he swayed to the music. 

 

“From one friend to another,” he whispered, his heart in his throat. “I really did want to dance with you.”

 

“From one friend to another, I’m glad you did.” She replied softly, her breath coasting over his neck. K tightened his arm around her, his chest constricting in a strange way that terrified him.

 

“ _Love me tender, love me long_

_Take me to your heart_

_For it’s there that I belong_

_And will never part.”_

 

As the singer finished the third line and the instruments swelled toward the conclusion, an overwhelming desire to keep her there - safely nestled in his arms - washed over him, strong enough that it threw into question everything he thought he was and everything he thought absolute.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I'm currently in a place with no internet so things have slowed a bit for me. But here's a new chapter and one I'm actually super nervous about. Read the notes below for why (spoilers in the notes though - don't read them before you read the chapter!). 
> 
> I'm optimistic that the next chapter for this and my other published wip won't take as long to publish but I can't make any promises. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

 

The song was over too quickly. K hadn’t thought it would be so hard to let something go - but he hesitated to release Rey from his arms, even as the pressure of his mission gnawed at his conscience. 

 

They stood for a moment on the edge of the dance floor and for a moment there was an awkwardness between them: K didn't want to leave and Rey couldn't because he had his arms around her. K had many words - excuses, explanations, apologies - running through his head but didn’t know how to say any of them. Then she smiled up at him, her hazel eyes clear and bright, and the cacophony in his head was silenced. 

 

“Thank you for the dance.” She said. “Would you, um,” she hesitated and licked her lips, and K was possessed by the simple - and what should have been an innocent - action. “Would you like to have a drink with me?”

 

Oh, yes. Very much. But he couldn’t. He forced himself to focus and shook his head. He watched bitterly as disappointment replaced the smile on her face. 

 

“I’m sorry,” he managed to say. “I have to check in with Poe. I-I’m still on duty.”

 

Not a lie. 

 

Rey let out what seemed to be a relieved laugh. “Of course. Okay. Maybe later?” 

 

K replied more quickly than he should have. “Later.” 

 

Then he swiveled on his heels and left, not daring look back in fear he would change his mind. 

 

****

 

Convincing Poe to distract the guards had been easy. The actor - three and half drinks in to the after party - jumped at the chance to cause a little trouble. While Poe performed a dance in front of the guards K was able to slip past and up the stairs unnoticed. The plan had worked perfectly and K wasn’t so humble as to not congratulate himself. 

 

When K looked over the banister at the top of the stairs to check on Poe, the good feelings fell flat. 

 

Poe had begun to strip and an audience of party-goers was gathering to watch. 

 

Rey was going to be livid. 

 

For a moment K seriously considered disappearing and dealing with Snoke some other way rather than face an angry Rey, but then the image of her flushed face came to mind and he smiled as the picture evoked other ideas.

 

The agent forced himself to focus on what was in front him instead of the many ways he could get Rey to blush. 

 

What was in front of him was considerably less pleasant. A dim marble hallway, lined on one side with floor to ceiling windows and on the other nothing but wall of closed doors. No light entered the space except for a few wall-lamps placed between every other window. There were security cameras, as expected, but there were so many shadowed areas that K was easily able to hop around the cameras' line of sight. He had another way to deal with them, but he considered it a plan B.

 

Finding the office would be simple in these conditions. Rose had unearthed the blueprints of Canady’s mansion the night before and helped K find the likeliest place, which was deep within the house. The house had a unique but simple design, unlike the interior: a two-story circle with six arms that branched out from the center and, like a wheel, another circle connected the spokes on the exterior. 

 

He followed the blueprints in his head: a left turn here. Right around this corner until he reached the vestibule which connected the six hallways. Rose had told him to go down the eastern branch and find the fifth door down. 

 

K paused for a moment in the rotunda. As he surveyed the area he noticed a curtained recess in the wall between the hallway he’d arrived from and the entrance to the northern wing. His head tilted to one side and he made his way to it, curiosity diverting him from his mission. He stopped in front of the blood-red curtain and ripped it aside. 

 

What he expected to see was another door, maybe a bit of First Order loot, not a portrait of a dog. Yet the arched nook seemed to be solely dedicated to the likeness of a black cocker spaniel. K narrowed his eyes to read the name on the dog’s tag. 

 

_Fulcrum._

 

K shook his head and replaced the curtain. Not everyone knew how to name a dog. 

 

He continued on his way, turning toward the east wing. K edged up to the wall and peered around the corner. No one there. Two visible cameras. Unfortunately there weren’t as many places to hide in this wing. The agent would have to utilize his backup plan. 

 

K marked where the cameras were and reached into his pocked for what could be mistaken as a car remote. In reality it was a miniature EMP device that would knock out the cameras for a limited amount of time. He hadn’t wanted to use it before because the dead cameras would have leave a trail of his movements. He didn’t have another choice now. But by K’s estimate, he should be in and out of Canady’s office well within the time limit. He pointed the remote toward the cameras and pushed a small black button. The red light indicating the cameras were recording blinked off and K grinned. 

 

The tech department had pulled through this time. 

 

Satisfied he wouldn’t be seen, K sidled down the hallway. The only sounds were his footsteps and the low echo of music from the ballroom. He counted the doors as he passed and stopped when he reached the fifth. 

 

Rose’s deduced location for Canady’s office. K surveyed the door, looking for any traps or clues to confirm the suspicion. A small grin appeared on his face when his eyes fell on the electronic lock placed where a doorknob should have been. 

 

“Eureka.” He muttered as he knelt to be on eye level with it. He pulled a chip - a gift from Rose - from his suit’s inside pocket and inserted it into the only opening he could find. How Rose knew which type of lock Canady would have K couldn’t fathom. The digital screen on the lock blinked twice and then released with a soft click. K gave a silent ‘thank you’ to his tech-gifted guardian angel, retrieved the chip, and pushed the door open.

 

The room was dark but K could tell it was the right place from the red and black color scheme revealed under the low beam of his flashlight. First Order people were so predictable. He left the door open a crack. There were no windows and the other side of the door was armed with the same lock - allowing the office double as a safe room - and he wasn’t sure if Rose’s improvised key would work twice. Better safe than locked in a First Order general’s office with no other way of escape.

 

K walked further into the room, running his flashlight over the walls. The office was filled with invaluable artifacts. Relics in glass cases, paintings on the walls, sculptures sitting on the bookcases. A few were pieces that had disappeared from the public eye years ago. K recognized a particularly famous Van Gogh on the wall that had been stolen from the museum in Amsterdam a few months back. 

 

But saving it and the other works would have to wait. The grand oak desk awaited his perusal - more specifically, the computer which sat atop it. K stuck the handle of his flashlight in his mouth and turned the computer on, and, when asked for the password, ordered the control program to bypass. He followed Rose’s instructions to the letter and to his delight they worked perfectly: the computer opened to the desktop. K made a mental note to buy Rose whatever she wanted when he had the chance.

 

He sifted through file after file but was met with immediate frustration. There were thousands and the satellite information would surely be coded. Rage coursed through him and he nearly broke the computer mouse where he gripped it. He passed a hand over his face and forced himself to calm down. Spinning out of control wouldn’t help him.

 

When he opened his eyes they fell on a folder titled _Starkiller_. Acting on an instinct he couldn’t quite explain he clicked it and everything he wanted was laid before him like a feast. K scrambled for the memory stick hidden in his breast pocket and stuck it in the computer to copy the Starkiller file. As the file began to download, the progress bar popped up with an approximate time to completion. 

 

Five minutes.

 

He sighed and glanced at the door. 

 

It was closed. 

 

K stiffened but otherwise didn’t betray his awareness. He slowly pulled the flashlight from his mouth and turned it off, leaving only the computer glow to light the room. He glanced at the screen.

 

Three minutes. 

 

Now he could hear the other person’s breath and cursed himself for being so oblivious. A rookie mistake. He’d made too many of those lately.

 

The lights in the room went on and he blinked at the influx of light but recovered quickly to see who had entered the room. 

 

A large man that could have been related to the Hulk stood beside the light switch next to the closed door. K laughed hollowly at his bad luck. 

 

“I don’t suppose you’d believe that I got lost?” He asked. Canady’s guard didn’t reply, his expression like stone. “No. I guess not.” K sighed. “I’ve got two minutes, so let’s do this.” He rounded the desk and rolled his shoulders. 

 

The guard took a step forward, eyes narrowed, lips parted in a snarl. K waited, hands fisted but at his sides as he marked every possible item in the room he could use to his advantage. He didn’t have long to plan. The guard barreled forward and swung a boulder-like fist at K’s head. The agent ducked and rolled behind the guard then popped up wrapped his arms around the guard’s corded neck in a choke hold. The guard wasn’t taller than K but had to have at least a hundred pounds on the agent in pure muscle. The guard gagged as K’s arms slid around his neck and he pushed them backwards into a bookcase to shake K off.

 

While K managed to avoid the books that tumbled down, the impact loosened his grip on the guard enough that the other man managed to pull away. A meaty hand wrapped around K’s throat like a vice, constricting his air. The guard’s free hand then delivered a hard punch into K’s stomach, sending ripples of pain through his abdomen and a wave of nausea that brought him to his knees. 

 

The First Order guard laughed derisively and stepped away - releasing K’s throat. 

 

Call it pride or call it motivation, K could not tolerate being laughed at. He took two deep breaths to steady himself and got to his feet. 

 

“Don’t hurt the suit.” He told the guard grimly as he straightened the wrinkles in the jacket. “It’s not mine.”

 

The computer chimed at that moment to announce the copy was complete. The noise distracted the guard enough that K could counterattack. He rushed past and brought his elbow into the small of the guard’s back. The other man howled and his knees buckled, but he was still able to twist around and defend against K’s next blow. Instead of the punch K had planned, K used the desk as a launchpad and kicked out with both legs. His assault landed square in the guard’s wide chest and the man fell against a glass case, breaking it and the vase perched inside.

 

K stumbled across the room and leaned over the prone figure of his opponent. He didn’t move, even when K hesitantly nudged at a leg with his foot. The vase was completely destroyed; a pile of shards beneath the guard’s body. All K could do was regret the loss to the art world as he took the opportunity to escape. 

 

He grabbed the USB and made for the door but as his hand touched the knob, he was wrenched back by the collar and thrown onto Canady’s desk, sending the computer and everything else on it careening to the floor with a crash. He groaned and struggled to sit up, his back on fire, but the guard pounced and wrapped both hands around K’s throat. K’s fingers scrambled for purchase in a desperate attempt to pry the guard’s hands away, but rage and adrenaline were working with the other man. 

 

Darkness began to line K’s vision.

 

One hand drifted down as his body jerked and twitched and his lungs begged for air. His fingers brushed against something smooth and hard and instinct more than awareness drove him to grip it tight and smash it against the guard’s temple. 

 

Sweet, sweet oxygen filled his lungs as the guard released his hold and slumped against K’s body. K pushed the other man off him and gasped. He took a moment to recover, chest heaving, his throat aching. Slowly, his body protesting, he rolled off the desk and got to his feet. He fought against dizziness and nausea to kneel beside the guard and ensure he was down. A line of blood on the guard’s temple told K all he needed to know. His eyes fell on the item he’d used to hit the guard. 

 

It was a stapler. 

 

A choked laughed escaped K’s sore throat as he dropped to the floor and leaned against the desk. He would never underestimate office equipment again. 

 

He let himself sit there a few seconds before he forced himself to stand. His back hurt, his stomach was reeling, and he was certain he had ugly red marks where the guard had dug into his throat but he needed to move. The cameras had probably resumed recording. Fuck it, he’d use the EMP on all of them. 

 

With that final thought in his mind, and with all the decorum that had been drilled into him from a trainee, K stood and straightened his suit and tie and swept a hand through his unkempt hair. Ever the agent. With one final look around the decimated room he slipped out. 

 

But nothing came easy. After used the remote to knock out the cameras again - turning the device up so that it sent out a wider burst to affect more cameras - he heard loud and rushed footsteps bounding down the hallway. More guards. K cursed, assuming some kind of silent alarm had gone off because of the EMP, and burst into a run.

 

He skidded to a stop as he rounded the corner into the vestibule and saw a nightmare.

 

“Matt?” 

 

Rey stood in the center of the rotunda and gaped at him, eyeing his disheveled appearance with a raised brow. 

 

_Shit shit shit. This is bad. This is very bad._

 

K was at a loss what to do at first; he didn’t have the time to get her out of there before the guards appeared. Then he spotted the curtained recess he’d found earlier and acted on instinct. He rushed up, grabbed Rey’s hand, and pulled her into the dark alcove.

 

He wasn’t really thinking when he pushed her up against the wall before he yanked the curtain closed behind them. He left a small gap to peek through and watch. 

 

“What the hell are you doing?”

 

He whipped around to face a seething Rey. Oh, he was gonna get it for this. If they weren't caught.

 

“Shut up.” He hissed and returned to watching the hallway but of course she didn’t respond well to that. 

 

“You _did not_ just tell me to shut up!” She exclaimed and he winced. Shadows danced on the hallway - angry voices echoed into the vestibule. He twisted around and crowded against her, his back to the hallway. All he could hope for was that the curtain covered them enough the guards wouldn’t notice them. 

 

The only thing that mattered now was Rey’s safety, the USB in his pocket be damned. If those men found her with him she’d be at risk of worse than a champagne headache.

 

No matter the cost he would make sure she was safe.

 

* * *

 

She had wanted to find Matt and scold him about the stunt he and Poe had pulled. The actor had admitted it was all Matt’s idea and Rey was furious. She’d expected more from him - especially since he’d been so well-behaved lately. She had stalked up the stairs and wandered down the labyrinthine hallways (seriously, who designed Canady’s house? The Joker?) to find the elusive bodyguard.

 

Finally she’d run into him looking like a scared rabbit and acting like James Bond.

 

Then he’d pulled her into a dark corner (which had a picture of a dog in it for some reason) and gave Rey a new reason to be irritated.

 

He’d just told her to shut up and after she reacted - rightfully, she thought - angry about it he had stepped into her space, a desperate expression on his face.

 

Rey pressed herself up against the wall, her pulse throbbing; whether from his proximity or anxiety she wasn’t sure. “What are you doing?” 

 

She didn’t know why she was whispering. Loud and fast footsteps resounded off the marble floors and Matt grimaced. Something was off and she didn’t like it. “What the hell is going on?” She demanded, loudly this time. 

 

He shot a warning look at her and pressed a finger to his lips. More noise from outside urged him closer and she lost the protest she’d prepared. Their chests were nearly touching - if she moved they would touch. Rey swallowed, her throat dry. 

 

But he didn’t seem to notice her struggle. Rey lifted her eyes to seek his but his head was twisted over his shoulder as he peered through the gap in the curtain. Her gaze fell back to his chest - it rose and fell in quick but steady intervals beneath his crisp black dress shirt.

 

The near-kiss in Poe’s kitchen from months before flashed before her eyes like a scene in a movie. The heat in his eyes as he leaned toward her, how desperately she had wanted him to close the distance; how she had never hated Rose more for interrupting them. 

 

Their relationship had been a roller coaster - a wild one that left Rey with whiplash. This moment seemed no different but this time she chose to ignore the warning bells.

 

But Matt was still focused on the hallway.

 

_Why are you so concerned about that damn hallway?_

 

“Matt.” Rey breathed and he finally turned his head, meeting her gaze. For a moment he looked irritated but as his eyes drifted over her face his expression softened and morphed into the same look he’d had while they were dancing. As if he was surprised that she let him anywhere near her. Like she was the most precious thing in the world. 

 

Urgent voices from the hallway, very near to them now, seemed to shake him. He made the final step that closed the gap between them. Rey couldn’t stop the small gasp that escaped her throat as their bodies made contact.

 

Movement over Matt’s shoulder diverted her attention for a second. A group of men appeared in the vestibule outside their nook. Rey saw the group pause and look around, searching for someone, but then Matt placed a palm against the wall, blocking her view with his arm, and she was distracted for a much different reason.

 

His lips were hovering a millimeter above her own, his breathing was shallow - the same as her own. He was too close and not close enough. She tilted her head, inviting the final touch, wanting it so badly her hands shook as she lifted them to grip the waist of his jacket. 

 

Nothing. 

 

The noise increased as the people outside closed in and he tensed, shifting in such a way that she realized if anyone opened the curtain she would be completely hidden from view. Rey frowned. He had her trapped between the wall and his body but she didn’t feel confined. No, this was like when he had shielded her in the car accident. He was protecting her.

 

_Why?_

 

Rey tightened her grip on his jacket. His face as he looked down at her was pensive and wary. Her hands slid over his broad shoulders and he drew in a sharp breath but never broke contact with her eyes. 

 

There was a storm in his - a conflict Rey couldn’t decipher. Movement at her sides alerted her to his hands sliding from the walls and through the gauzy fabric of her dress - it was stilted and slow, like he was struggling, fighting with himself. He stopped at her hips and his fingers gripped her almost painfully.

 

He lowered his head again and Rey held her breath. His nose grazed hers and she nearly lost her balance as her entire body jolted in response; her fingers dug into his shoulders and one of his arms slid around her waist, tugging her to him. Everything else, all noise, the people in the hallway, time itself disappeared. All she could sense and feel was him, his hands, how close and yet still so far away his lips were from hers. 

 

Less than an inch. 

 

But he hesitated. She forced her gaze from his mouth to his eyes where the storm still raged. 

 

_Kiss me._ She thought, as if he might hear her, like they had some sort of mental bond through which they could communicate. But they didn’t. He couldn’t hear her thoughts. They stared at each other, nose to nose, breaths weaving together, mutual frustration palpable in the air. 

 

Rey’d had enough. She closed the sliver of distance between them and pressed her lips to his in an insecure kiss. 

 

He didn’t move, still as a statue. 

 

Rey panicked and wondered if she had badly misread the situation. Maybe he was just hiding from the party. Maybe their dance hadn’t meant the same to him as it had her. Maybe he had put his arm around her just now because he thought she was clumsy. 

 

She pulled back and tried to disentangle herself from his embrace, panicking. Her flustered movements seemed to wake Matt up. His arm tightened around her waist and before she had a chance to utter the apology half-formed on her lips he was kissing her hungrily. Rey was crushed to his chest but she didn’t care. He could break her back kissing her like this and she’d thank him.

 

It was heat and need, like he couldn’t get enough and never would. His plush mouth slanted over hers expertly and Rey looped her arms around his neck, drawing herself up on her toes as she parted her lips to him. Her knees buckled as he took advantage of her invitation and her fingers curled into his shoulders to keep herself steady, her feet nearly leaving the ground. 

 

His free hand slid down her hip, caressing every inch of her side before it came to rest on her ass; his fingers kneaded her flesh and a whimper broke from her mouth, his touch like fire. She bit her lip to prevent another from escaping as he tore away from her mouth and nipped his way down her throat - though he was impeded by the neckline of her dress. Rey carded her fingers through his hair, sifting through the dark locks she had long coveted to touch. They were as silky as she’d imagined and briefly she wondered what kind of conditioner he used until he sucked at a bite, causing her to gasp and accidentally scrape his scalp with her fingernails in surprise. She swore he growled before attacking her lips with renewed vigor, a telltale hardness against her hip.

 

If someone had told her two months ago she would be shamelessly making out with Matt the bodyguard she would have laughed hysterically and bet money it wouldn’t happen. 

 

A loud grunt from outside broke the bubble and Matt stopped and tensed again, but kept his head down. Rey had forgotten that there was a potential audience to her and Matt’s little tryst. The men in nondescript grey suits. 

 

When she opened her eyes - they had closed at some point, she didn’t know when - she heard the suits walking away. They were moving on in their search. As their footsteps receded Matt relaxed and raised his head. Rey pressed her mouth closed to smother a smile when she caught sight of the damage she’d done. 

 

His hair was mussed from her attentions, his lips smudged red from her lipstick. She was sure she looked much the same, if not worse considering he had dragged his mouth all over her throat. His eyes, though, his eyes weren’t stormy like before, but clear. Clearer than she had ever seen them. And they looked upon her so gently - she might have called it lovingly. 

 

His chest heaved in time with hers and his mouth hovered over her lips, tempting another kiss. Rey trailed her fingers over his cheek, encouraging him to give in to the desire and he did. He pressed his mouth to hers, then to her cheek, then her temple, and finally her forehead, lingering there for a moment. The gesture was gentle and reverent, like she was fragile and he was afraid he would break her. Rey had never felt anything like it. 

 

He murmured her name and she met his gaze. 

 

“Hey, Matt.” She whispered in reply and with what she was sure was a silly smile on her face. But instead of seeing the same smile on him, Rey saw grief flicker in his eyes but it passed so quickly she thought she imagined it. 

 

“We should get back to the party,” he said hoarsely and stepped back. Rey almost reached for him, already craving his touch again. As if he could sense her bereavement he held out his hand and Rey grasped it tightly with her own.

 

Whatever misgivings she’d had before, there was no going back now. Rey was done for and she’d never been more scared nor more ecstatic in her life. 

 

But the way his hand wrapped around hers - tight, their fingers twined together - as he lead the way out of the alcove also left her the most assured she’d ever been. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *DEEP BREATH* 
> 
> THEY SMOOCH. 
> 
> I am so anxious about this one guys. I don't write these kind of scenes often because I'm really self-conscious about them. I hope it was satisfying! Lemme know if there's anything egregious or weird, though please!
> 
> Thanks for reading and as always I love receiving comments! (I'm not gonna be shy about it anymore i live for them)


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Thanks for being patient! I've got some exciting developments planned and things are going to speed up after this chapter! 
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy!❤️

 

Her hand stayed in his the entire way back to the ballroom and when it slipped away upon entering the room K experienced something akin to grief. Like a part of him had also disappeared. But there wasn’t time to focus on anything except getting Poe corralled and back home. The actor had somehow found a karaoke machine (an odd thing for a First Order man to keep, K thought) and was belting out various Taylor Swift tunes.  Someone had managed to convince him to put his clothes back on, thankfully.

 

It was Rey who stalked up and forced him to drop the microphone, even as he tried to get her to sing. K stepped in to help and they managed to get Poe under control. Snickers and laughter and the especially delighted grin of Aurra Sing followed them out of the party.

 

The drive to Poe’s house was silent. He didn't know what to say and with a drunk Poe in the back that Rey was trying to control it didn’t seem like the best time anyway. The most either of them managed were furtive glances.

 

No peace came when they reached the house either because they needed to get Poe to bed. But the intoxicated man acted like a toddler and refused to go up the stairs, flailing his arms like a windmill every time Rey tried to step in. She gave up and let K try. He managed to distract Poe and took the split second advantage to overpower him and hauled him over a shoulder like a sack of flour. The shorter man was like Gumby, arms and legs loose and flopping everywhere. K was subjected to Poe’s hands landing on his ass twice before he dumped the actor on his grotesque orange and white bed. 

 

For a moment the agent considered putting Poe in his pajamas but dismissed the thought with an indignant huff. The last thing he wanted was to see Poe semi-naked again. The actor could live with a wrinkled suit. Served him right for the handsy behavior. So K left the actor in a crumpled heap on the bed, mumbling in an alcohol induced stupor. 

 

As K made his way back downstairs a sense of dread rolled over him like a wave and only increased as he approached the living room, where Rey was waiting. She was sitting on the couch, chewing her nails, but when he stepped through the doorway she jumped up and wrung her fingers nervously.

 

They stared at each other for what seemed to K an eternity, her by the couch and he lingering a step inside the room. Apparently she was as unsure about what came next as he was. It was worse for him: he was never unsure. He cleared his throat and stuck his hands in his pants pockets. Something needed to be said.But before he could open his mouth Rey spoke.

 

“Is Poe alright?” Her voice cracked a little and she coughed and tried again. “I mean, he didn’t get sick did he?”

 

K snorted and shook his head. “No. He said he was going to kick my ass and then wiped out. He really can’t handle his liquor, can he?”

 

“No, he can’t. He's a lightweight but won’t admit it,” she laughed but her expression transitioned back to a nervous one. “Um, we should probably talk…”

 

“Yeah, we probably should.” He agreed quietly. She was looking at him strangely, her eyes focused on his lips, but he had to continue. “Rey-”

 

The words he’d had planned never left his mouth because Rey darted forward and took his face in her hands, mashing her lips to his. The force of the move inadvertently pushed him against the wall with a heavy thud. K was stunned for a second, disbelieving that she’d caught him unawares for the second time that night, but he recovered quickly and grabbed her waist, pulling her forward as he returned the kiss enthusiastically. Rey curled her fingers into his jacket as she nipped at his lower lip, demanding access to his mouth. A groan reverberated through his body and K slipped his arms around her but didn't obey her impatient demand. While he adored that she had taken charge, he couldn’t relent that easily. 

 

When she drew back with a frustrated noise to glare up at him, he took the opportunity to flip the power dynamic and twisted them around, pressing her to the wall in his stead. She made a muffled noise in surprise and he smiled against her mouth before sliding his hands under her thighs and lifting her up in one fluid motion. The perfect partner, Rey took her cue and wrapped her legs around him, interlocking her ankles at his back, trapping him in the best way he could have imagined.

 

While he’d enjoyed their first embrace, he’d been half distracted, worried about the First Order discovering them - discovering her. Now that they were safe and he could devote all his attention to her, he savored the sensation of having her pressed against him, so close that he could feel her wild heartbeat. Torn between holding her and wanting to touch her everywhere, one of K’s arm’s slipped for a second and she wiggled her hips to reposition herself but the friction was too much for K and his hips rocked into hers. 

 

The second it happened he froze, mortified and concerned that might have been too much, but the feeling shattered and coalesced into something quite different when Rey moaned and tightened her legs around him. The movement squeezed the bruises forming from his fight with Canady’s guard but there was no pain, nothing but a dull throb he easily ignored. Rey drew back and looked at him through hooded eyes as a mischievous smile formed on her mouth. She wet her lips and ground against his obvious arousal again, eliciting a groan and a shudder from the man who realized he was once again very much at her mercy. K pressed his forehead to her shoulder, needing a moment or he feared he would beg to fuck her there against the wall. If they ever got as far as sex, he would be damned if the first time was fully clothed against Poe Dameron's living room wall. 

 

“Matt.”

 

The whispered name was like a bucket of ice water. That’s right. He was Matt, the movie star’s bodyguard - a man who had a soul. Matt was the person Rey thought was holding her in his arms. She didn’t know his real name or who he really was and never would. It was the second time that night he’d been reminded of it and K didn't know if there was anything that tore at his heart more. When Rey repeated herself, Agent K squeezed his eyes shut and braced himself before lifting his head. The amused smile on her face faded somewhat at the expression on his face. 

 

“What's wrong?” She whispered and her hands cupped his cheeks, her face gentle and kind, so kind it verged on loving. “You look… sad.”

 

So much for all the training he’d been put through. No, he was an open book to her. K shook his head and forced himself to focus. Rey knew and wanted Matt. Even if it killed what little was left of him, he would be that man for her.

 

“I’m not sad,” he murmured back, hoping he sounded reassuring enough. “I’m…” he searched for the right word but he didn't know if there was one for the cacophony of emotions reeling inside him. So he settled for the next best thing - the truth. “I can’t believe this is happening. For the second time.”

 

Rey ducked her head, a blush forming on her perfect cheeks. “I know I said I didn’t want to be anything more than friends, but…” She pressed her lips together. “But after that dance I…and then the kiss… there was… _is_ something…” she looked at him with an imploring gaze as she faltered but K knew exactly what she meant. 

 

“I know,” he said quietly. “I feel it too.”

 

And whatever it was terrified him. But the relief that smoothed the worry lines on her face pushed his fear aside, replaced with a sense of accomplishment that he had comforted her. K pressed his lips to hers in a gentle kiss, a far cry from the frenzy they had been enjoying moments before. But Rey, apparently, wasn't interested in being gentle. As he kissed her she slid her arms around his shoulders and deepened the embrace. K gladly followed her lead and soon they were again deep in the midst of a full blown make out, bodies pressed firmly together, mouths searching for each other again and again. K slid his hands under her ass, to support her as much as to unashamedly fondle her.

 

Her fingers trailed up his neck, leaving pools of fire in their wake, until her hands cradled his head. 

 

K removed his lips from hers and trailed open-mouthed kisses over her jaw to her neck. Any awareness of his surroundings was forgotten for giving Rey the biggest hickey of her life. Refusing to be frustrated again by her dress, K slipped one hand to the back of her neck and searched for the clasps of the collar of her dress. With deft fingers he undid the snaps and triumphantly pushed the collar down so he had free access to her throat. In moments he had her writhing against him, her fingers gripping his hair and tugging in the most delicious way, her head thrown back in wanton enjoyment of what he was doing; he could feel each gasp and sigh she uttered as they traveled from her throat to the air. Each sound was a note in a symphony he was composing and he yearned to finish.

 

It was as she made a particularly debauched sound that the lights in the living room came on. 

 

Chests heaving, K and Rey both froze. Rey still had her hands in his hair and K’s lips were locked on her throat. A far-fetched thought occurred to K that if they stayed perfectly still whoever had entered the room wouldn’t notice them, but when a strangled noise of surprise floated to them from the doorway, that hope disintegrated and the caught couple both slowly turned their heads toward the entrance. 

 

Finn was staring at them, dressed in striped pajamas and a robe, with the dumbest, wide-eyed look of shock on his face K had ever seen on a human being. 

 

For a few seconds the three people stared at each other, no one sure of what to do or how to react. 

 

It was Finn who broke the silence. 

 

“I thought I heard a noise," he croaked. K winced. They really hadn’t even attempted to be quiet. He realized he was still holding Rey up against the wall and released his grip enough to set her down on her feet; her slide down was near torture because he felt every single inch of her and when he looked at her face he knew she’d done it on purpose. He tried to take a step back, desiring to give them some distance and at least pretend they had some decency but Rey grabbed him by the lapels and stopped him. As his eyes drifted over her he noticed that the unsecured (thanks to him) top of her dress had fallen to reveal the bustier beneath. Embarrassed heat flushed his ears and he stared at her chest in disbelief. It was like he was in high school all over again, right after being caught with his crush in the pool dressing rooms. 

 

Rey didn't notice. If she had, K was certain she would have laughed at seeing his ears so red. 

 

“The noise was us.” She shot a glare at Finn. “Go back to bed.” 

 

Instead of obeying Finn gestured between the two of them. “So, is this a thing now?” He asked and K lifted his eyes to the ceiling, wondering if God had decided to hate him after all. 

 

A low growl brought his attention back to Rey and he noticed the deep pink color suffusing her cheeks. He didn't know if the hue was from embarrassment or anger but either way he thought it was lovely. 

 

“Go. To. Bed. Or I’m going to tell Poe that you were down here sneaking his expensive imported chocolate again.” 

 

The noise that left Finn’s mouth was a ridiculous squeak. “You wouldn’t!”

 

Rey narrowed her eyes and K had to clench his jaw tightly to prevent himself from laughing. “Try me, Stormman.” Finn lifted his hands in defeat and began to back out of the living room, but not before he shot a wink and a grin at K. The scowl that K saw Rey direct at Finn could have withered a tree and, to his credit, he scurried away. 

 

Once he was gone K and Rey were left with the reality that their moment was over. K heaved a deep breath. He didn't know what came next. For once he didn't have a plan on what to do or say. He left it up to her. 

 

The woman who had managed to take all reason from him lifted her gaze and smiled shyly, so different from the fire she'd displayed just moments before. 

 

“So,” she began slowly. “So, that happened.”

 

He nodded, his eyes traveling all over her face, from her reddened, swollen lips to the developing mark he'd left on her neck. Her hair had fallen from its chignon at some point and was draped across one shoulder. He vaguely remembered sliding his hand up and cradling her head at some point, accidentally tearing the carefully done style down. He knew he was probably just as ruined: his hair a mess from her fingers, his jacket was definitely wrinkled, and her lipstick had to be all over his face. 

 

“What’s next?” She asked and he met her eyes again to find her watching him carefully. Was she really giving _him_ the choice?

 

A smile lifted his lips. A genuine smile that had everything to do with her. “That’s up to you, sweetheart.” The term of endearment slipped out before he even knew he'd thought of it, but it fit and she seemed to like it because she blushed again and a new smile appeared on her face, softer and sweeter than the one before. 

 

“I would like to try this,” she motioned between them. "As a ‘thing’, as Finn so eloquently put it.” 

 

Something so simple shouldn't have simultaneously made his heart race and his stomach drop to the floor. He’d been successful: he could still claim himself as the best manipulator in The Agency. 

 

When he realized he hadn't responded and she was looking at him expectantly, he cleared his throat. “Yeah, me too. I want us to be a ‘thing’, too.”

 

_At least I can hold you. At least I’ll have that at the end of all this, when you hate me._

 

There she was, smiling so broadly in the ruin he’d left her in; she hadn't even pulled her dress back up. K was struck with the thought that she was the epitome of sunshine. Even on a bad day, she couldn’t stop blazing. It almost hurt to look at her radiance, because he didn’t deserve to have it bestowed on him. 

 

“Good.” She bobbed her head. Then: “so, um, do you want to stay over?”

 

Oh. This development happened faster than he'd expected, even with the fact she’d initiated things that night. “Ah, so… am I… in your room?” he made a gesture between them and her eyes widened. 

 

“OH. No, I mean, not that I don’t want you to be, but… but it's late and tonight has been a lot…You’re great and hot and god do I want to but…” She laughed nervously and was flailing her hands a little too much so K stepped up and grabbed them both in his, holding them to his chest. 

 

“It’s okay.” He told her firmly, mouth twitching in another smile. “I’ll stay in the other guest room.”

 

Her shoulders dropped as the tension disappeared and she stepped in, he thought, to kiss him again but a startled expression appeared on her face and she stopped. 

 

“What the hell happened to your neck?” she exclaimed and K moved a hand to his shirt collar reflexively. His careful arrangement of the shirt to hide the ugly marks that Canady’s guard left on his throat had fallen, another casualty of his and Rey’s fevered embrace, and were obvious now in the bright living room. 

 

Damn it. His brain searched desperately for an answer, needing a plausible reason before she realized that the bruises were finger-shaped. 

 

“Cologne,” he said, too loudly. She recoiled and he cleared his throat, lowering his voice. “Sorry. I think it's an allergic reaction to the cologne Poe made me wear. It’s horrible.”

 

The tense minute that stood between his answer and her nod of sympathy nearly killed him.

“He does have some rank stuff, doesn’t he.” She agreed and he relaxed. “You should go back to your own,” she paused and her cheeks turned pink. “I prefer it anyway.” 

 

That she preferred anything about him was enough to quicken his pulse. “Then I will,” he murmured, his voice a half tone deeper than it had been. Oh, the things she did to him. The things he wanted to do to her. 

 

Rey stared at him, her eyes wide and pupils blown. Neither of them moved for a what seemed a long time. For some reason K felt like he was shuffling his feet outside a girl’s house as he waited for the right cue to kiss her after a date. But he’d already kissed Rey. Plus some. There was no need to be awkward. 

 

So he kissed her again. Slowly and, though it wasn’t pure by any means, more chastely than the ones before. Rey tilted her head back willingly, malleable to the movements of his lips, letting him do whatever he wanted. Quite the change, he thought dryly, from their early days.

 

After they separated he helped her fix her dress and guided the way up the stairs, her hand in his: where it belonged, his brain decided. At the top K tugged her back into his arms, just because he wanted to, because he could. In her arms he was able to forget who he was, forget why he was really there. 

 

“Mhm, bed,” she mumbled against his mouth. “I have to sleep.”

 

“I know,” he murmured guiltily, fully aware he was being selfish and needed to let her go. “I know.” He sighed and at last pulled away, but not before brushing his lips in a featherlight touch to her cheek. “Goodnight, Rey.”

 

She looked up at him contemplatively, her eyes traveling over his face in the dimly lit hallway, seeing him as if it was bright as day. K swallowed, nervous under her clever gaze. Somehow he feared it was possible she could see everything he was: the lies, the manipulations, the killer that lay underneath the facade of Matt Radario. 

 

But if she had been looking for anything she didn’t find it. A slightly disappointed, slightly curious expression passed over her face and then was gone, leaving him wondering what exactly she saw when she looked at him. 

 

“Goodnight, Matt.” She said when she was done and pressed one more kiss to his lips before turning and moving swiftly down the hallway to her room. K watched her. He didn’t take his eyes from her until her bedroom door closed behind her. 

 

Like he was freed from an enchantment, he inhaled deeply and realized he hadn’t been breathing at all. He knew he needed to evaluate the events of the night, try to take them moment by moment and catalogue them for the mission. 

 

But he couldn’t focus.

 

His hands were shaking. 

 

****

 

Agent K wasn’t sure how the morning would go but he hadn’t expected chaos. He was the first downstairs, which didn’t come as a surprise since everyone else thought they could enjoy a sleep in, but while he was pouring himself a giant bowl of cereal Rey and Rose came hurtling into the kitchen. He and Rey exchanged a meaningful glance but he didn’t have a chance to even say good morning before she launched into telling him she and Rose needed to get back to their apartment.

 

Unfortunately, Rey explained, she had forgotten about some paperwork that Poe needed to sign and it was due to the studio that day. Rose didn’t need to go, per se, but had decided to tag along because she needed to pick up some extra clothes since she and Finn had decided to stay at Poe’s for awhile. K couldn’t tell if she knew what had occurred between he and Rey; if Finn had told her, she wasn’t letting on. With that eventual awkward talk in the back of his mind, K put his full cereal bowl by the sink with a regretful sigh. 

 

Poe and Finn made their appearance as K turned to leave. Finn was dressed but Poe was still in the clothes he was wearing the night before and had a sour expression on his face. K and Rey were given a passing smirk by Finn before he continued to the fridge but Poe moved to stand in K’s way, poking him in the chest. 

 

“Hey.” K recoiled at the actor’s dreadful morning breath. “What’s the big idea of leaving me in my clothes? Do you know how expensive this suit is?”

 

“What was the big idea of pinching my ass multiple times?” K shot back, receiving a gale of laughter from Finn and Rose. He caught Rey glaring at Poe. 

 

Poe reared back in horror. “I DID NOT.”

 

“You did.” K crossed his arms over his chest. “So I left you in your suit.” The actor’s mouth opened and closed several times before he huffed and sniffed.

 

“Well, sorry about… about that.” He gestured vaguely at K’s rear which the agent could have done without but at least he got an apology. 

 

“Oookay now that we’ve settled that, can we go?” Rey jumped in, looking pointedly at K. He nodded and sidestepped Poe to stride out of the kitchen. Rey and Rose were right behind him.

 

K lead the way to the town car and the girls clambered in. Rey took the front seat. Not particularly unusual since they had made up but the developments of the previous night made the decision more meaningful somehow. 

 

As it was Monday there was plenty of work bound traffic K had to drive against so the normally fifteen minute trip was doubled. When they arrived Rey instructed him to keep the car on: they wouldn’t be long. So K remained and watched she and Rose rush inside the building. 

 

Two minutes. 

 

Three minutes. 

 

K drummed at the steering wheel as he waited, watching the various tenants go in and out of double door entrance of the building: a tall lady with in a severe business suit carrying a brown leather satchel, her eyes locked on her phone as she tapped away madly; maybe a lawyer, K surmised, or an executive. 

 

A man with a child entered the building as the woman left. The father - K assumed he was the father - wore a long-suffering expression as his kid babbled loudly about something.

 

The next people to enter the building were a couple K wouldn’t have put together. The male was tall and thin with a shock of red hair and a pale complexion. The woman was even paler, with dark hair and ruby colored lips the combination of which made her look like some kind of alien creature. They were both wearing dark suits, the man in one K swore had been in some kind of movie about the world being a simulation… Rose had talked about it before. 

 

Something about the pair bothered him, like an itch he couldn’t reach, but he couldn’t place which one of them he recognized or where or when he might have seen them.

 

Until, as they disappeared into the building, he replaced the red head’s suit with dusty coveralls and a baseball cap. 

 

The ginger who had been under Poe’s car before the accident. 

 

Snoke’s man. 

 

His stomach gave a sickening lurch and K didn’t know if he had ever moved faster in his life. He launched from the car and sprinted into the building, making for the elevators. Both were busy, one presumably carrying the enemy straight to Rey and Rose. He bounced to the staircase and leapt up two at a time, heart pounding like jackhammer against his ribcage. 

 

When he pushed through the door on the third floor landing he paused to catch his breath and his surroundings. All was quiet. Not unusual for a Monday morning when everyone had an early work day, yet the empty hallways made the atmosphere all the more sinister. 

 

Agent K pulled the knife he carried out of the holster hidden beneath his pants leg and ran down the hallway for the girls’ apartment: number 320. 

It was as he rounded the corner from the staircase that he heard the muffled yelp. He forced his legs to move faster, his feet pounding down the hallway and making his position known but he didn’t care. One more corner and he would be in the hallway to Rey’s apartment.

 

When he skidded around that corner, his heart nearly stopped.

 

Rose was struggling in the dark-haired woman’s arms, doing her best to fight her off, but the slight woman was deceptively strong and had a near choke-hold around Rose’s neck and a hand covering her mouth. She was dragging Rose down the hallway toward the elevators, intending to make off with her. 

 

The ginger man was being kept at bay by Rey and if he hadn’t been terrified for her, K would have cheered her on. 

 

Rey was trying to battle her way to her friend and doing a damn good job, keeping the red-head guessing with her attacks. For every swing the red-head aimed at her she gave him one back and even though he was able to dodge her strikes, K could tell he had to think about it. Poe had taught her well and she managed to avoid being touched until the elevator doors opened and the woman began to drag Rose inside. Rey was distracted and her guard went down as she yelled for Rose and darted for the elevator, attempting to sidestep the red-haired man. 

 

K knew it was going to happen before her opponent even lifted his arm. He was still too far down the hallway. His feet were lead weights, unable to carry him any faster. 

 

Taking advantage of Rey’s distraction, the ginger man grabbed Rey’s arm and twisted it behind her roughly before sending her careening toward the wall. She hit it head first with a dull thud and slumped to the ground. 

 

K saw red. 

 

He didn’t think twice before barreling toward the man, every muscle in his body coiled and ready to strike. He dropped the knife somewhere along the way. His target spotted him but it was too late.

 

Agent K collided with the red-headed man with a wild cry and tackled him to the ground. 

 

“Matt!” K heard Rey’s voice come to him as if from a distance but couldn’t stop the course he’d set himself on. 

 

One of his enemy’s fists came flying but K managed to dodge it and sent one of his own in retaliation that did more damage to the floor than to his mark. Pain shot through his knuckles but he barely noticed. The only thing he comprehended was hurting the man who’d hurt Rey. Grunts and shouts filled the hallway as K and his enemy struggled for dominance. In the midst of the fight and his fury K recognized the ginger using Agency tactics and the awareness distracted him long enough for him to lose the advantage.

 

The red-head punched K in the side and pushed him off, sending him tumbling across the floor. An instant later both men were on their feet, ready to face off again, but Rose and Rey shouted at K to watch out and he turned just in time to raise his right arm and block the red-head’s partner as she swiped at K with his own knife. The blade sliced through his suit and into his forearm but K didn’t pay it any mind. His used his other hand to grab the woman’s wrist and twisted it. She cried out and dropped the knife. The weapon fell to the ground but at the same time his opponent sent her knee into K’s stomach and he released her wrist with a pained grunt, stumbling backward, but managed to retrieve the knife as he went. 

 

For a moment there was a pause filled with heavy breaths as the three fighters eyed each other. K stood between them, the woman on his right and the man on his left. He was in a poor position and in the back of his mind was Rey, slumped on the floor, and Rose huddled near the elevator; he thanked his lucky stars that they were both smart enough to stay out of this fight. The arm of his suit was soaked with his own blood but nothing was going to keep him from protecting them. He needed to win this fight. K gripped his knife tightly in his uninjured hand, knees bent in his signature stance, waiting for his enemies to make the next move. 

 

A flash from his left had him turning to ward off a kick from the red-head. But as soon as he turned the woman launched her offensive too, and K found himself parrying a flurry of kicks and punches from both sides. Some found their mark and but they did not go unanswered. More than once his responding attacks hit his targets; there was a reason K was the best. Even outnumbered he was formidable. 

 

But not invincible. 

 

A vicious kick to the side of his abdomen that was already bruised by Canady’s guard knocked the wind from K’s lungs and his vision whited out for a second. But he recovered in time to see the woman reach for his knife and slashed out wildly with it before she could take it. The knife pricked her hand and she jumped back. Regaining his balance, K swiveled the knife expertly in his hand, ready for whatever came next. Now he was on one side of the hallway and they were on the other, K standing between them and Rose and Rey. It was where he wanted to be. His opponents glanced at each other, a silent message between them, before dashing down the hallway to make their escape. 

 

As soon as they turned the corner all the pain he’d so far kept at bay with adrenaline and stubbornness crashed into him and K fell to the floor and onto his back, taking deep, rasping breaths against the pressure in his side. Blood from the wound in his arm trickled across his hand and onto the floor. He couldn’t focus on that. He couldn’t weaken now. Rey needed him. 

 

K made to rise but a figure knelt beside him and put its hands on his shoulders, holding him down with a gentle pressure. He turned his head and saw Rey, her eyes gleaming with unshed tears. 

 

“Don’t move,” she ordered thickly and he thought her hands were trembling as they smoothed his hair from his face. “You’re hurt.”

 

There was a bruise blossoming on her cheek where she’d hit the wall and she was favoring her right arm. K raised his uninjured hand to brush his thumb across the evidence he’d failed to protect her. 

 

“Rey-,” he tried to respond but the words were cut off with a groan as the pain in his side throbbed in protest. He closed his eyes and tried to take a breath but could only manage shallow inhales. He definitely had a broken rib, probablytwo. Somewhere in the background he could hear Rose calling 911. Abruptly Rey disappeared through the open door of her apartment but nearly as soon as she was gone she was back, armed with a towel she wrapped around his bleeding arm, holding the arm up and keeping a constant pressure on the injury. 

 

“The police and an ambulance are on their way,” Rose appeared on K’s other side and put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently. He turned his head and saw her face, flushed and tear-stained, staring at him with wide eyes. He nodded, hoping she understood he was telling her she’d done the right thing and turned his attention back to Rey, who was still holding his arm. 

 

“Hey.” K found that whispering kept the pain down. The way she looked at him, scared and pale, gnawed at his soul. “I’ve had worse, remember.” His lips quirked up in what he hoped was a reassuring smile and not a grotesque wince. Rey shook her head but her mouth twitched. She leaned down and pressed her lips to his forehead then his mouth. K’s free hand moved of its own volition and cradled the back of her head, keeping her close even after the kiss ended. Rey obeyed his silent request and rested her forehead against his with a sigh. The touch and her breath against his face reminded him she was safe. 

 

No matter the cost to himself, he swore to himself, he would protect her and everyone she loved. 

 

No matter the cost. 


	16. Chapter 16

**Two hours after the encounter with Agent K:**

 

Hux winced as he walked down the stifling marble hallway to Snoke’s office; that bastard Agent K had hit him like fucking freight train and it felt like it.

 

He and Bazine had spent weeks on recon and surveillance, in which they’d had plenty of opportunities to grab Tico, but Snoke had kept telling them to hold off and wait. Wait for what, Hux wasn’t sure. But after Agent K had managed to make off with some damn valuable information thanks to Canady’s useless security, Snoke had put Hux and Bazine into action, but not in the way Hux had expected. Not entirely. 

 

Bazine - suffering from a bad scratch and a few bruises herself - pushed the heavy door to their boss’ office open with an irritated grunt. At least they’d ensured that Agent K hadn’t gotten away unscathed. Hux had thought the battle would be easier - he knew Agency tactics backward and forward, but the man had attacked like a wounded tiger, relentless and ruthless in his attacks.

 

“Ah, Hux, Miss Netal. I assume you were successful?” Snoke greeted them from behind his desk. Moden Canady was there as well, sitting on the visitor side of Snoke’s desk, and Hux stopped himself from groaning aloud. The man was obviously there to find out and gloat if his intel was right. He was an older man, someone from the days when the First Order had been known as The Empire, a conglomerate with a less coherent and even less successful business model. Canady had worked for a man who’d taken to calling himself the Emperor, for all the good that did him. He’d ended up murdered by his own VP and the business fell to pieces. The vacuum left in the Empire’s wake allowed the First Order to rise in its stead, and Snoke had let many of the former Empire employees stay on.

 

“Yes sir,” Hux replied. He and Bazine stopped beside Canady’s chair. “If he had the USB on him, nothing on it will be useful. I set the EMP off as soon as he made contact.” Hux rolled his shoulders at the memory and grimaced at the bruised muscles. 

 

His boss smiled in spite of his acolyte’s wounds and Hux repressed a shiver. The expression on that withered face did not become palatable with more exposure. “He most definitely had the device on him. Our dear Agent K is terribly predictable. And what of the other business?”

 

“The information provided by Mr. Canady was correct,” Bazine answered. Hux glanced at Canady and nearly rolled his eyes at the smug expression the older man wore. “Agent K is compromised. _Very_ compromised.”

 

“I told you Ohnaka’s story rang true,” Canady gloated, leaning back in his chair. “Solo wears his heart on his sleeve, just like his grandfather. I saw it for myself last night.”

 

_Right_ , Hux thought in disgust, _when you tried to grope Niima._

 

“Yes,” Snoke looked at Canady with barely disguised revulsion, “and it was enough to act on. However, you’re fortunate, Moden, that Hux and Bazine were also ensure the data you lost was erased.”

 

Canady squirmed uncomfortably in his seat under Snoke’s hard gaze. Hux barely managed to keep himself from smirking. For once someone who actually deserved Snoke’s reprobation was getting it. 

 

The withered leader of First Order shook his head dismissively and leaned over his desk, placing his palms together like he was in prayer as he surveyed his lieutenants. “Now, we move to the next step…”

 

****

 

“Do you understand what you are to do, Armitage?” Snoke asked quietly. The others had gone; Canady, properly cowed, went back to his weird manor and Bazine went to do whatever horrible thing she did in her free time. 

 

“Yes, sir. But…” Hux hesitated, flicking his eyes up to Snoke warily. 

 

His boss sat back in his seat with a heavy sigh, like he’d been expecting Hux’s reticence the entire time. “Spit it out.”

 

Hux swallowed nervously. He was rarely allowed to give his opinion and when he was it usually didn’t go well for him. He plunged ahead nonetheless. “Are you sure we have to do it this way? I don’t understand-”

 

In an abrupt movement akin to a predator lashing out at its prey, Snoke stood and leaned over his desk, his face inches from Hux's. 

 

“Let me put it in terms you _will_ understand,” he hissed, his cold, unblinking eyes freezing Hux in his place. “It’s his woman, or _yours_.”

 

* * *

 

K shifted for the millionth time on the hospitable bed, unable to find a comfortable position and not just because of his injuries. The gown he’d been forced to wear was too revealing and too short for his frame, the bed was too small, but most of all he hated being immobile and now that’s what he was. The doctor had confirmed that two of K’s ribs were broken; K surmised that Canady’s guard had probably cracked them and left them vulnerable for the red-headed man’s kick to fracture them. His arm was in a better state than he’d thought: the cut had been long and bled a lot, but it was shallow enough that only a few stitches were needed; no small mercy in the grand scheme of things. But he didn’t have the freedom of movement he usually enjoyed and that was worse than any cut.

 

Rey, who had not left his side except for the ride to the hospital, pinched his shoulder when he squirmed again. He pouted at her admonishment even though she had barely touched him. 

 

“Stop moving. The doctor said you needed to be still.” She scowled at him from her position on the edge of his bed. 

 

“I don’t like being still,” K grumbled. “It’s not like I broke my neck. I’ve had-”

 

“You’ve had worse, yes, I know.” Rey rolled her eyes but winced and K tensed, any levity evaporating as he observed her own injuries. Her cheek was an inkblot of purple and black that circled her eye and her sprained arm was now in a sling. Rey must have noticed his abrupt change because she turned more patient eyes on him. “So have I. This,” she gestured between her eye and arm, “is nothing.”

 

“I should have been faster.” His guilt forced his gaze down to focus on his clenched hands. Soft fingers appeared in his vision, sliding over his fists in a gentle motion. When he looked up Rey was smiling; one of the many she’d bestowed on him that he didn’t deserve and he locked it away with the others in his memory like a dragon would gold. 

 

“You were amazing,” she said adamantly. “I’ve never seen anything like what you did, and I’ve seen Poe pull a lot of stupid shit. At least you’re licensed to kick ass.” K snorted and her smile turned into a grin before she leaned forward and kissed his forehead. He closed his eyes at the contact, savoring how her touch warmed him.

 

But when she drew back there was a pensive expression on her face. 

 

“What is it?” K asked, reaching for her hand with his uninjured one. She let him entwine their fingers together but the frown remained on her face. 

 

“Do you think the police are right and those people were after Rose and I because of Poe?”

 

He knew that theory had bothered her the second the lieutenant had offered it. After arriving at the hospital K, Rose, and Rey were briefly interviewed by the police. The detective in charge had claimed that since Rose and Rey were so close to Poe Dameron - who’d had his fair share of unpleasant threats in the course of his career - they had probably been targeted to get at him. Either for ransom or to hurt him. Probably the former, the lieutenant had said. 

 

That hadn’t sat well with Rey and K had watcher her stew over it ever since the officers had left, with assurances they would catch the perpetrators.

 

He’d wondered when it would come up again. 

 

“Is it such a farfetched idea?” He asked - just as he’d planted the idea in the head of the uniformed officer who had first interviewed him, he needed Rey to think it was plausible. “Poe’s high profile, he’s been threatened before, and you hired me because you were concerned about the risk to him.” He saw her shoulders slump and hated himself for causing any kind of pain, whether directly on her or on someone she loved so much. 

 

“I know,” she admitted. “But… he’ll be so guilty about it. I’m sure he’s already squeezed the theory from Rose.” Rey rolled her eyes but sobered quickly. “It’s not his fault, of course, but he’ll still feel responsible.” 

 

Agent K was well aware of that. Even though he had some unorthodox and dramatic behaviors, Poe was a good man with an excellent military service record. Reckless sometimes, but overall a responsible person. The idea that Rey and Rose might have been seriously harmed to get at him would disturb him greatly. And K didn’t like that he’d had to plant that seed but he had no choice. The rest of the entourage’s safety depended on it. 

 

“None of it makes sense!” Rey burst out, dropping K’s hand as she raised her good arm in an exasperated gesture. “Why then, why there? And… Matt, it didn’t seem like they were after the both of us. That woman grabbed Rose and started to drag her away. They didn’t touch me until I started defending Rose and even then it wasn’t until you started running down the hallway. Why?”

 

Rey was looking at him as if he might have the answer, searching his face imploringly. Little did she know he did have the answer. K was caught between being marveled by her intuition and fear that if he made the tiniest slip up she’d figure out everything. He could almost see the wheels turning inside her brain, her instincts crying out that something didn’t fit. The same instinct that had kept her from trusting him all those weeks. A good instinct, but also a dangerous one. For both of them. 

 

“Sweetheart, don’t you think maybe you’re overthinking this? Just a little?” The words left a sour taste in his mouth and the disappointed look she passed him cut deep. Of course she wasn’t overthinking it. She was brilliant. But he had to continue the lie. To protect her. “Besides, I got there in time. You and Rose are safe.”

 

“That’s another thing I can’t figure out…” Curiosity directed at him lit her eyes.

 

K lifted a brow, fearing a new complication. “What?”

 

“How did you know we were in trouble?”

 

That was a very good question K could not, under any circumstances, answer with the truth. His heart monitor betrayed the sudden spike in his heart rate and he cursed the machine silently. A frown appeared on Rey’s face when he hesitated and he forced his mouth to open, hoping something plausible would roll out. 

 

“Rey,” Poe popped into the room. “Visiting hours are over. Let Matt get some sleep. You and Rose need to rest too.”

 

K had never been so grateful to see Poe Dameron, even if the actor didn’t have his usual vim. From the looks of him, Rey was right and he’d pulled everything out of Rose. Guilt was written all over his face. Unfortunate, but necessary, K told himself. 

 

Rey didn’t move, though. “I’ll be there in a minute,” she said, not looking at Poe but at K. “Wait for me outside.” Confusion fluttered across Poe’s face but he obeyed, leaving K and Rey once again alone. K hoped above all hopes that she wouldn’t resume the questioning. Much to his relief, she didn’t. Instead she took his hand again and edged closer. “You’ll be alright, yeah? Alone?”

 

A cocky smile appeared on his face before he could stop it, fueled by relief. “Are you worried about me, Niima?” he teased. An imperious look appeared on her face and she stood. 

 

“Obviously you’ll be fine. Goodnight,” and she made to leave but K kept his grip on her hand, obeying a desire that wasn’t at all powered by deception.

 

“Get back here,” he ordered. Rey pursed her lips. 

 

“You were rude to me just now,” she said. “I don’t think I shall.”

 

Her damn accent was working over time to charm him and he tugged on her hand. “I’m sorry?” He probed hopefully. 

 

Rey hummed in disapproval but let him pull her back to the bed, where she sat down again. “That didn’t sound like a real apology, Mr. Radario, but I’ll accept it nonetheless.” She turned her cheek toward him. “You may kiss me before I leave.”

 

That’s how she wanted to play it, huh? Alright, he was game.

 

“Uh, could you get a little closer?” K asked, innocently indicating his ribcage. “It hurts to lean forward.”

 

She narrowed her eyes but obeyed nonetheless and presented her cheek to him again. K pressed his mouth to her cheek, but didn’t stop there. He put another kiss on the corner of her mouth and felt her shiver and tilt a little bit nearer. He repeated the gesture and would have done it a third time but she huffed and turned her head to claim his lips in open-mouthed kiss. He returned it languidly, cradling her unbruised cheek in his hand. 

 

Maybe it was self-indulgent. No, having her like this was definitely self-indulgent, but again he found himself forgetting the mission and pushing aside the agent just for a moment of bliss. 

 

Only a moment.

 

An announcement chimed outside the room, confirming visiting hours were over. 

 

Rey made a soft noise and pulled back only to press her forehead against his. “I need to go,” she whispered, as if reminding herself more than to inform him. K took the opportunity to enjoy one final kiss and then he nodded, drawing away first so she didn’t have to. 

 

“The others are waiting,” he said. When she looked at him with regret he added to reassure her: “I’ll be fine. Trust me.”

 

“I’ll be back tomorrow,” Rey told him. “First thing.”

 

His heart did a funny thing, like it skipped a beat or two and then ran faster than before. Someone had said the exact same thing to him a long, long time ago. In a gravelly voice instead of one like a song, but the same words, to the very last syllable.

 

“Okay,” K whispered, throat closing up for some reason. “I’ll be here.”

 

Hazel eyes appraised him much like they had after Canady’s party, as if they could see right to his soul, and K was enthralled. But again Rey didn’t say another word, only leaned forward and kissed him one more time. She left with a wave goodbye and a repeated promise she’d be back. 

 

K watched the door long after she’d disappeared through it, wondering when he’d begun to remember things he’d preferred forgotten. 

 

****

 

Two days later Agent K was released from the hospital with strict instructions to take it easy until his ribs healed in a few weeks. Poe was kind enough to bring K new clothes, a t-shirt and sweatpants, as his clothes were bloody and ruined. It was also Poe who drove back while Rey and K took up the backseat of the town car. K realized it was the first time he’d been in the back since becoming Dameron’s bodyguard and the loss of control annoyed him. K gave in to baser instincts as soon as Poe started the car and commenced backseat driving.

 

The result was constant scolding from Rey and dirty looks from Poe.

 

But they reached the house in one piece and, despite his irritable behavior, Rey and Poe helped K into the living room. Poe also insisted he stay at the house until he healed and K agreed to the suggestion without resistance, too exhausted to argue, but he also had another motivation.

 

“Actually,” K said, slowly sinking into one of Poe’s deep, ridiculously comfortable armchairs, “I think that everyone should stay here until the threat goes down. The kidnappers are still out there and this place has more security than the White House.” Thanks to his spying, K thought guiltily, eyeing one of the hidden cameras he’d placed in the living room. Poe nodded, his expression the most serious K had ever seen it. 

 

“Good idea. Especially since it was the girls who were targeted.”

 

“Who are you calling girls?” Rey appeared in the room from the kitchen, having gone to get a glass of water for K. She handed it to him and perched herself on the arm of his chair; her arm wasn’t in the sling anymore, the sprain a mild one, thankfully. It took a great amount of effort for K to resist touching her back or putting his arm around her, but he wasn’t sure how she felt about PDA in front of Poe. Or even if she’d discussed the new element of their relationship to her boss and adopted brother. In the hospital she’d avoided kissing him unless they were alone so he was hazarding that she hadn’t said anything. 

 

But as Poe looked between the two of them, settled so close to each other, his eyes narrowed and K had the sense the secret - if it was a secret - wouldn’t last long. 

 

Instead of mentioning it, however, Poe turned to Rey. “You and Rose. You’re staying here until we know it’s safe.” 

 

A frown crossed Rey’s face but not the usual angry or indignant one she might have after being told what to do. K’s own brow furrowed at the lines Rey bore instead. Something he’d seen before but not in her. A thing he himself had induced in many people: fear.

 

Moving without a second thought, he gave in to the impulse to put his hand on her back. Rey leaned into the touch a bit and, gratified and a little thrilled, he began to rub slow, soothing circles into her spine with his thumb.

 

“I’m going to teach you and Rose some defense techniques,” he announced. She turned slightly to look at him and her usual, somewhat chastising expression appeared on her face. K almost smiled to see it. 

 

“I can fight,” she stated then jerked her chin toward Poe. “He taught me. And you saw me.” Rey folded her arms across her chest. 

 

K shifted to peer up at her but winced as his ribs protested and immediately resumed his original position. “But you can always learn more,” he forced out between clenched teeth. “I can teach you.”

 

“How are you going to teach me when you can’t even move?” His maybegirlfriend pointed out. K huffed and considered an alternative. 

 

“We can start with weapons training. I won’t have to do much except show you how to point and and shoot safely.”

 

Rose and Finn popped into the living room as K was speaking and both stopped abruptly in the doorway. 

 

“Uh, who’s learning how to point and shoot?” Finn asked slowly, eyes darting between the three people already in the room. 

 

Rey glanced at the couple over her shoulder. “Apparently Rose and I,” she replied mildly. 

 

“Oh no,” Rose waved her hands. “I’m not touching a gun. Nope. Never. Sorry not sorry.”

 

Of course she would say that. The one person who needed to know how to defend herself the most. “It’s important, especially after what happened,” he looked right at Rose and hoped she’d get the message. When she met his eyes there was a stern frown on her face and her arms were crossed over her chest. He got the sense that she understood but she wasn’t going to budge. 

 

“No,” she said flatly, confirming his assumption. Fine. He wasn’t going to make her but he would let her know that she was making his job harder. 

 

“I don’t want to use a gun either,” Rey piped up thoughtfully and K groaned. “Let me finish,” she chided. “I think they’re uncivilized. I’d rather use a knife. Like yours.” She jerked her thumb at K. 

 

He sighed heavily. It was better than nothing. One could a lot of damage with a knife. He knew firsthand. “I guess I can work with that.”

 

“Great, so the one person in this house who probably shouldn’t have a weapon is gonna get one.” Finn raised his hands in defeat. Rey turned a sour look on him.

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She demanded. 

 

Finn crossed his arms over his chest and leveled a pointed stare at Rey. “The taser incident?”

 

Rey jumped up and pointed at her accuser. “THAT WAS AN ACCIDENT AND I APOLOGIZED!”

 

Poe walked between them and put his hands out in a calming way. “Children, children, please. While I agree that Rey having the ability to stab us anytime is terrifying-” if Rey could actually shoot daggers from her eyes K was sure she would be “-I agree with Matt.” He put his hands down and slid them into the pockets of his pants, passing a grave look around the room. “She needs it.”

 

With that he left, leaving everyone else to reflect quietly on exactly _why_ Rey needed training. K looked after Poe solemnly, regretting deeply that he’d had to put the responsibility for the attack on the actor’s shoulders. Seeing Poe struggling left K with a rotten stomach. 

 

But the entourage was resilient and it wasn’t long before Finn said: “Anyone feel like R2’s?”

 

****

 

It was much later, near one in the morning, that Agent K caught Rose alone. In the aftermath of the attack and the days that followed, he hadn’t had a chance to discuss with her what what he'd gleaned from Canady’s party or have her examine the information on the USB he’d taken. Or even to check on her and make sure she was alright.

 

Everyone had gone to bed, or so K thought, until he made his way into the kitchen for some cereal and saw Rose sitting at the counter. She looked up at his entrance and bit into her bottom lip. 

 

“I was waiting for you,” she said in lieu of greeting. K grunted and took the barstool next to hers. Rose had her computer and signature orange Beats headphones splayed across the counter. There was some kind of code on the computer screen he couldn’t understand. “We need to talk.”

 

“Yeah,” he nodded, folding his hands on the counter. 

 

There was a beat of silence before she spoke again, quietly. “Those people were really after me.”

 

K took a deep breath. The attempted kidnapping was the first concrete evidence Rose had seen that she was indeed Snoke’s target and he could tell she was grappling with the realization. “Yes.”

 

“They hurt Rey.”

 

His fists clenched and he fought past mental self-flagellation to answer. “Yes.”

 

“Because of me.” He could hear how she struggled to speak past her emotions and turned toward her. 

 

“No,” he said firmly and she looked up at him, her dark eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Because of Snoke. What happened isn't your fault.”

 

_If anyone’s, it’s mine._

 

Rose pressed her lips together tightly and nodded slowly. She might not believe him, but K knew she wasn’t going to let it debilitate her either - she was too stubborn for that. “So,” she cleared her throat. “What now?”

 

“Now we look at the USB. You still have it?” K had slipped the coveted device to Rose before being loaded onto the ambulance. The hacker nodded and reached toward her headphones. Tapping the side of band, she revealed a secret compartment and the USB tucked safely inside. K gave her a half grin as she removed the USB from the headphones and held it up. “You’re a wonder, Tico.”

 

“Yeah, I know.” Rose popped the protective cover off the USB and pushed it into one of the ubiquitous slots on her computer. “What’s on it anyway?”

 

K’s brows shot up in disbelief. “You didn’t look?” He couldn’t imagine her curiosity hadn’t been needling her to do so. It had been three full days since he’d given it to her. 

 

A resentful huff left Rose’s lips. “While I _was_ tempted, I didn’t think it would be a good idea without you. I didn’t know if those people would come back…” she trailed off.

 

“It’s a good thing. You did good.” K told her reassuringly and she managed a small smile. K nodded once and moved on. No time to dwell; they had work to do. “To answer your question: remember I told you Canady was high up in Snoke’s organization?” She nodded and he continued: “I managed to break into his office and took some information off his computer. I think it’s about Snoke’s satellite but it’s encrypted.” 

 

“My key worked?” Rose exclaimed. K could see she was brighter at the possibility she’d helped in some way. 

 

“Impeccably.” K replied with a crooked grin. “Worked better than a lot of the stuff The Agency gives me. Especially lately,” he added bitterly. But she apparently didn’t hear the last part, because she was wiggling in her chair with glee as she typed in a few commands to begin decrypting the USB. 

 

“Does that mean I’m a spy now?” She joked. “Call me Tico, Rose Tico,” she said, deepening her voice. “Strawberry milkshake, blended, not stirred.”

 

Agent K snorted and shook his head. He admired how she was able to bounce back so quickly. Nothing could keep her down for long. Much like Rey, he mused fondly. No wonder they got along so well. 

 

Rose’s self-designed decryption worked quickly on the small device and within minutes a new window popped up. Rose leaned toward the screen but instead of elation K watched a scowl form on her face. 

 

“Huh. This isn’t good.”

 

“What?” K asked uneasily. He stood up abruptly, immediately regretted the decision when his ribs protested, but pulled the computer toward him anyway only to stare at a jumble of coding. “This doesn’t look like what I downloaded. What’s wrong with it?”

 

Rose gestured at the gibberish on the computer. “It’s corrupted. All of it. Completely unreadable.”

 

In disbelief, K slumped back into his chair and gazed unseeingly at the computer screen. “How?” he whispered. 

 

“The stick itself isn’t damaged,” Rose said thoughtfully. “So I’m guessing some kind of electric shock. Maybe a miniature EMP. Come to think of it, I picked up your phone after you were taken by the EMTs. It wasn’t working.  I thought you had initiated some kind of erasure.”

 

K barely heard. Frustration slowly coiled around him like a constrictor and as it tightened its hold, whispering ‘failure’ in his ear, a growl rumbled through his chest that morphed into a near-shout and he slammed the counter with a fist. “Fuck!” 

 

Rose jumped then hissed at him to be quiet. “You’re gonna wake up the whole neighborhood!”

 

He hunched over the counter, hands curled, breathing erratic. A stitch had popped but he didn’t care. How this had happened? How had he been so careless?

 

_Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

 

“I have nothing,” he gasped. “Nothing. I had everything in the palm of my hand and… and now…” His forehead met the cool counter and he blew out a deep breath, hands clenched in his hair. 

 

Silence fell in the kitchen, the only noise the cycling of the fridge and air conditioner. What was there to say? This assignment had been a shit show from the start and it looked like it was going to develop into a proper clusterfuck. As he stared at Poe’s granite counter top, ribs aching, throat still scratchy from being strangled, K was ready to call it in.

 

“Um,” Rose tapped his shoulder. “I might be able to fix it,” she said timidly. K raised his head and eyed her carefully. This was too good to be true. “It’s a long shot,” she added, putting a hand up, as if to warn him not to get too excited. “But technologically possible. At least, it is for me.”

 

If there was any chance, he’d take it. What was the harm, anyway? The damn thing was already broken. He didn’t have anything to lose if Rose’s idea - whatever it was - didn’t work but at least there was some hope. 

 

K forced himself to snap out of his self-pity and straightened, putting a hand on Rose’s shoulder and giving her a gentle squeeze. “Thank you,” he said earnestly. “And, if you do get it fixed, keep a copy of it.” Her eyes asked why and he explained: “You’re the contingency if something happens to me. Contact Agent L,” he paused then added in a wry tone: “I don’t think I need to tell you how.” 

 

The corner of Rose’s lips lifted in a confident smile. “Nope. What kind of a first name is ‘Lando’ anyway?” 

 

“Why am I not surprised you already know his name,” K deadpanned. Rose shrugged. 

 

“Because you know I’m amazing and relentless.” She said, but a shadow fell over her face. “Hey, there’s something else we need to talk about.”

 

_Uh oh._

 

“What is it?” He did something. He didn’t know what but he’d done something. 

 

“Rey.”

 

Oh.

 

“Right.” He looked at the counter again. “I guess we do.” K could feel Rose’s eyes watching him carefully. 

 

“More happened at that party than you stealing info. Finn told me he caught you two in the living room and I saw her kiss you after we were attacked. I’ve tried to pry it out of Rey but she’s not budging. Probably waiting to talk to Poe about it. She usually does when it comes to new relationships. But I need you to tell me what’s going on.” 

 

“Things,” he cleared his throat and searched for the right words. “Things have escalated between us. It wasn’t planned. I don’t… I don’t think it’s serious.”

 

“I know Rey,” Rose said soberly. “Maybe you don’t think it’s serious, but I can see she’s falling for you.”

 

“Really?” He asked. Falling for him. Rose thought Rey was falling for him. More than thought. She could _see_ it. Elation filled K’s chest, the way it buoyed his spirit unfamiliar and strange.

 

Rose released a breathless, long-suffering laugh. “You’re incredibly readable for a spy, secret agent man. I knew you had it bad but I didn’t think you might be falling for her too.” She frowned. “Did you even know? Agent K? Hello?”

 

He’d stopped hearing her, shaken to his core at the revelation she’d leveled on him. 

 

Everything he’d been experiencing with Rey - the protectiveness, the longing, the desire - formed into a neat picture where they had once been a mess of pixelation.

 

He’d known he had some kind of feelings for her; he was self-aware enough for that. But he’d thought - hoped -it was a temporary thing. A fling he could enjoy as part of the job and drop as soon as he was gone. At least, that was what he’d started to tell himself.

 

The stark reality was that he was falling for Rey. Who was he kidding: he _had_ fallen. Hard. But if Snoke found out… if he already knew…

 

The moment of happiness morphed into horrified panic as his mind supplied all the ways Rey could be used against him, hurt - or killed. 

 

“Hey,” a hand on his arm jerked him from the maze of terrible possibilities his mind had begun to rove in. Rose gripped him tightly but spoke soothingly. “Come back to me, big guy. It’s okay.”

 

“It’s not okay. This is bad,” he said hoarsely, shaking his head. “I can’t fight Snoke like this,” he continued with a growl, his anger and fear eating away at his self-control. “I said I was compromised, Rose, but I didn’t think… This is worse. Much, much worse. I can’t…” he swallowed, “I can’t _love_ her. She can’t love _me._ I’ll lose.”

 

“Agent K,” Rose’s voice was gentle and when he looked up at her, breathing heavily in his existential panic, she wore a soft smile. “That’s not how we’re gonna win. Not fighting what we hate. Saving what we love.”

 

K closed his eyes and looked away, clenching his jaw in a futile attempt to keep his lips from trembling. Saving what he loved. He hadn’t worked in that mindset in a long time. Not since Snoke had materialized in his life. It had been a weakness; a thing that had lead to the death of a parent. 

 

He’d made sure to shore up that part of himself, throw it in a vault and lock it deep, deep down in his psyche. Fed by hate and revenge he’d honed himself into a stone cold killer bent on one thing: destroying the person who’d destroyed him. 

 

Until he met Rey. That stone around his heart had cracked; he was bleeding out and K feared he couldn’t stop the rupture. It was as if Rey had cut a long streak across his chest and buried her blade in his heart.

 

Saving what he loved. He loved her. He hoped to God that it wouldn’t break him. 

 

He hoped it wouldn’t break _her_. 


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS STORY LIVES. 
> 
> It's been awhile because writer's block hit me pretty hard on this one but I think I worked it out satisfactorily. Thanks for all your patience, dear readers! I love you all and I hope you enjoy this next installment!

Rey’s lessons began the day after Matt’s release from the hospital.

 

“No time to waste.” He’d claimed, leaving Rey a little puzzled but she wasn’t going to complain. She wanted to learn how to better defend herself. He didn’t let her use the big knife, but they practiced hand to hand maneuvers with a pocket knife he gave her. 

 

But it wasn’t long before Matt tired and Rey insisted he take his meds and go rest in the living room. He didn’t argue with her. Rey would have been grateful except that it meant they really had overdone his activity level. She hoped all he needed was a nap to recover. 

 

While Matt was resting, Rey took the opportunity to find Poe. There was some housekeeping she needed to do about his next media appearance and with all the excitement the last few days she’d not had a chance to discuss it. 

 

“Poe?” Rey popped her head into the actor’s ‘office’ (actually a game room containing his two Xboxes, Playstation4, a ping-pong table, alongside other various amusements) and looked around. Poe was sitting in an orange bean bag chair holding a corgi-shaped pillow and staring at his blank TV. Which was odd. He looked like he was deep in thought and Rey instinctively knew he still felt guilty for what happened to she and Rose. 

 

Rey wished he didn’t. Because despite Matt’s reassurances, she had an feeling in her gut there was more to it than he said. 

 

But she pushed her suspicions aside to focus on her suffering friend and stepped into the room. Approaching the bean bag chair, Rey waved her hand before Poe’s eyes to draw his attention (and make sure he wasn’t actually catatonic). He blinked and lifted his head. A frown line he’d tried hard to erase with botox appeared between his brow and Rey mentally prepared herself for the inevitable list of anti-aging products he would toss at her later. 

 

“We need to talk about the talk show on Saturday night.” Rey said. 

 

“Oh, yeah.” He nodded and pat the black bean bag chair next to him. “Sit.” 

 

A little flummoxed, Rey obeyed. She sank into the chair with a grunt, nearly disappearing into the floor as the beans gave way beneath her. She wiggled to right herself, pushing at the folds of the chair to give her support. “This is not comfortable. How can you sit in these?”

 

Poe didn’t respond and when she raised annoyed eyes to him she found he was already staring at her with a searching gaze. 

 

“Rey, babe, I need to ask you something. And if you don’t want to tell me, it’s fine. None of it is really my business anyway.” He looked away and tucked the pillow he was holding behind him. Rey watched and waited with more curiosity than anxiety. 

 

“What is it?” She asked when he hesitated. Poe never hesitated. He always jumped ahead, regardless of consequences sometimes. 

 

He cleared his throat and looked at her earnestly. “Is there something going on between you and Matt?”

 

Oh. Rey blushed and dropped her gaze. She’d meant to talk to Poe about it when things had calmed down a little. Rey had even resisted telling Rose anything, wanting to get Poe’s opinion before she and Matt went further. Not permission. She was still going to date Matt, but Poe was important to her and she wanted to know what he thought. 

 

“I’ll take the absence of a disgusted protest as a yes,” Poe said wryly. 

 

“Yes,” Rey nodded her head slowly and lifted her eyes to the man who’d become a brother to her. “There’s something going on between Matt and I. I was planning on telling you. I haven’t even told Rose much, although I think she already knows. So does Finn. I’m pretty sure he told her about what happened in the living room.” Rey silently swore to put something sticky under Finn’s pillow later. 

 

Poe narrowed his eyes. “What happened in the living room?”

 

Another heated blush rose to her cheeks as she remembered the incredibly heated make out session she and Matt had enjoyed. “Nothing,” she said but from the expression on Poe’s face knew that she absolutely had not convinced him. 

  
“Oh my god did you have sex on my couch?” He exclaimed, jaw dropping. 

 

“Poe!” Rey shrieked. “No! What is wrong with you?” Not that she hadn’t thought about it at the time. “No, Finn walked in on us making out.”

 

Her boss put a hand to his chest and sat back in his chair in relief. “Don’t scare me like that. I’d never be able to sit on that couch again. Every time I’d try I’d think about…” he grimaced. “About you two doing it.”

 

“You’re disgusting,” Rey retorted but she softened her gaze. “So, you’re okay with it? Not having sex on the couch but Matt and I as a thing?” A small smile lifted Poe’s mouth and he reached forward to take one of her hands. 

 

“Yeah,” he nodded. “I’m more than okay. I think it’s great. I like the guy. He’s gruff, but lovable. As long as _you_ are happy.”

 

Rey squeezed his hand. “I think I could be,” she admitted, surprising even herself. “I think he could make me happy.” Long term plans with guys weren’t her thing - she hadn’t yet found one worth the trouble, but Matt… she thought he might be the exception. 

 

“Then I’m happy.” Poe announced. “But I’ll have to talk with him too. Can’t have him breaking your heart. It’s marriage or nothing in this house. I get to name your first born, by the way.”

 

“POE!”

 

The meeting that was supposed to be about Poe’s interview quickly derailed into an argument over who would get to name Rey and Matt’s very, _very_ hypothetical children which ended in Rey getting frustrated and walking out. 

 

“BARTHOLOMEW IS A GOOD NAME, YOU’RE JUST IGNORANT!” Poe shouted after her and before disappearing from the room Rey stuck her middle finger up at him. 

 

They could finish his prep for the interview later, anyway. Rey wanted to check on Matt. He was in the living room as he promised, laying on the couch with an arm thrown over his face, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. 

 

For a moment she stood there and watched him sleep, amazed by how young his face appeared when completely relaxed. He looked so at peace it almost broke her heart and made her loathe to wake him. So she decided not to. Let him sleep, she thought. There would be time to talk later. Rey turned to leave as quietly as she could. 

 

“You watching me sleep, Niima?”

 

Rey stopped and whipped around to see Matt looking at her with one eye open, a shit-eating grin on his face. She glared at him and stalked over to the couch. 

 

“Were you pretending to sleep to mess with me?” She asked in a half-hearted accusing way. 

 

He lowered his arm from his face and tilted his chin up to peer at her more directly. “I wasn’t pretending,” he said with a slight pout. “I heard you walk in. You have very distinctive feet… footsteps.”

 

“And how’s that?” Rey asked with a raised brow. He was too drugged up to be joking. His eyelids were sagging and he was slurring his words. 

 

“Steady and quick,” he yawned. “Like you’re on a mission.”

 

Lowering herself to kneel beside the couch, next to his head, Rey rested her forearms on the cushion. Matt followed her down with his eyes. Even though they were somewhat unfocused, they seemed to bore into her, like he was memorizing how she looked. Rey wondered - not for the first time - what made her so special for him to look at her like that. 

 

“I was on a mission,” she said. “I wanted to see you.”

 

A lopsided smile Rey could only assume was also half-induced by his medication appeared on his face. “You did? Usually nobody wants to see me.” 

 

Rey furrowed her brows. “Why do you think that?”

 

He closed his eyes. “Don’t have someone… anyone,” he murmured, already half-asleep again. Rey’s eyes burned and she blinked away the resulting tears. She brushed her knuckles against his stubbled chin - he hadn’t shaved since he’d gotten released from the hospital; Rey didn’t mind the look. When she removed her hand Matt stirred and edged toward her, somehow missing her touch in his sleep. Rey pressed her palm to his cheek and gently stroked her thumb across his cheekbone. Matt sighed and relaxed again and Rey’s heart constricted in her chest.

 

She remembered the times she’d had no one. Twice in her life she’d been abandoned: once by her nobody parents and then again when her uncle died and left her to Unkar. She’d dreamt of having a real family, of having anyone care even a little about her. Poe was the first. Then Rose and Finn. They had become everything. But Rey still bore scars. They weren’t physical - not all of them - but they were just as prominent as the ones decorating Matt’s body. 

 

How many did he have like hers? How many more were the kind you don’t see?

 

There had been a couple of times that he’d stared at her, brown eyes wide, like he’d wanted to tell her something. Tell her everything, it seemed; but he wouldn’t. He remained silent. Rey would meet his gaze with a curious one of her own, studying him, trying to hear what he wanted to say without him having to say it. 

 

He withdrew each time and Rey found herself disappointed and hurt. 

 

For some inexplicable reason she wanted his secrets; wanted him to trust her with them, hold them, keep them. Keep him.

 

Maybe they had been put together for a reason. This reason. She knew what it was like to be alone. She wouldn’t wish it on anyone, but especially not Matt. With that thought in mind, she lowered her mouth to his ear. His breathing was evening out again as he fell back into slumber, but she thought he’d still be able to hear her. 

 

“You have me,” she whispered. “I’ll be your someone.” 

 

* * *

 

When K woke up he was still on Poe’s couch. The curtains were drawn and the room was dim; a floor lamp near one of the armchairs emitted the only light. He shook the sleep from his eyes and sat up with a groan. Any residual exhaustion disappeared when he checked his watch and saw that it was six in the evening. He’d slept for five hours straight. In the middle of the day. 

 

Those pain meds were too effective. He’d never been so tired in his life. Nor so unfiltered. Rey had visited at some point. He didn’t remember much, but could somehow recall most of what Rey had said when she checked on him. 

 

She’d wanted to see him, she’d said, which had left him… well, happy. Content even. But things blurred when he reached the point in his memory where he fell asleep again. She’d said something else, something quiet. But he couldn’t remember. He couldn’t remember what he said either.

 

“Hey sleepyhead.” Rey’s voice drifted to him from the living room doorway. She smiled and K swallowed back a surge of emotion. “Are you hungry?” 

 

Now that she mentioned it, he realized he’d not eaten since breakfast. After taking his medication he’d knocked out and hadn’t thought about food since. Or anything else.

 

“Uh, yeah.” K sat up with a grimace. He no longer experienced shooting pain through his body every time he moved, but he was stiff and sore. He wouldn’t admit it but the training session with Rey hadn’t helped. “Starving.” He swung his legs off the couch, one hand going to his injured side, attempting to rub the stiffness out. Rey appeared next to him and slid an arm around his shoulders to help him up. While unnecessary, he didn’t tell her that. 

 

“Good,” she said when he got to his feet. “Come with me.” She took his hand in hers and K experienced a tightening in his chest that left him breathless. The feeling was ridiculous since they’d done more than hold hands and she’d had no qualms about it, encouraged it in fact, but somehow the simple gesture of holding hands seemed even more intimate. At first he didn’t close his fingers around her hand, afraid he might hold on too tightly, but she gave him an encouraging squeeze and he gave in, wrapping his hand around hers and marveling at how _right_ it felt. As if they’d been made to be held by each other. 

 

Instead of taking him to the kitchen, Rey led him through the house to the back patio. At first K couldn’t see why but when she guided him past the barbecue area he saw a blanket sitting on the lawn by the pool, on top of which sat a mountain of cushions and a picnic basket overflowing with food from R2’s. 

 

“Is this… a picnic?” He looked at Rey to find her face tinged pink. Absolutely adorable. 

 

“Is it too much?” She asked with a wince. “You said we can’t leave the house for now, but I wanted to do something nice for our first ‘official’ date…”

 

“First date.” K repeated softly, eyeing the arrangement reverently. When he glanced back at Rey, he caught her giving him an incredulous look. 

 

“You know what a date is, right?” 

 

K returned a long-suffering glance. “I know what a date is, Niima. But why now?”

 

She shrugged. “I wanted to. Like I said, we can’t go anywhere because of those people, like a nice restaurant or something. If you hate it then we can go back inside.” She dropped his hand to fold her arms across her chest defensively.

 

Oh. He’d made her feel self-conscious.

 

Reaching forward, he pulled her hands away from her body and tugged her toward him for a hug. 

 

“I think it’s great,” he murmured and was relieved when she relaxed into his embrace, looping her arms around his waist. He reveled in the simple joy he experienced holding her. A thought ran through his head that none of this was real, that she wasn’t real. Maybe he was dead or in a coma somewhere after a failed mission. But when she pulled away to kiss him tenderly and then lead him to the blanket, her hand grasping his in a firm hold, he knew that she was very real. 

 

****

 

After he had eaten his fill (three of the five burgers Rey had ordered) K laid back on the blanket with Rey and stared up at the night sky, trying to find a star through the haze created by the LA basin. Her head was tucked beneath his chin and he had his uninjured arm looped around her shoulders. 

 

“There’s one.” She announced brightly, pointing to the sky and K followed her finger but it was only a helicopter, which became evident as it passed over the house. 

 

“Try again.” He teased. 

 

Rey sniffed. “I think it should count anyway. That’s as close to seeing a star here as it gets.”

 

“Mhm. Find an actual star, Niima.” 

 

After a few more minutes of unsuccessful stargazing, K was about to suggest they go back inside when a shadow darker than the smog zipped over them. He recognized the shape instantly. 

 

_Lockheed Martin_ _F-22 Raptor._

 

Sure enough a few seconds later the familiar thunder of the stealth aircraft echoed through the valley as it passed. 

 

“Those fly over every now and then,” Rey remarked. “Wakes me up sometimes.”

 

“My dad used to test fly them,” K murmured. As soon as he said it he wondered why the hell he had. She hadn’t asked. His heart raced as more memories surfaced of a time he’d thought was locked away in his mind’s vault. But if he showed any outside evidence of his turmoil, Rey must not have noticed. 

 

“Planes? Like that?” She asked, adjusting so that her cheek lay on his chest. 

 

K shook his head slowly. “Yeah,” he swallowed. “He was Air Force.”

 

_Why am I telling you this?_

 

“Was he gone a lot?” 

 

He hesitated. There was a rule all ghost agents followed: don’t get personal.

 

K had already broken it and was about to do it again. He knew better. His Agency instincts were screaming at him to stop, to distract her and redirect the conversation.

 

But another instinct, one he thought he didn’t possess - not anymore - was urging him on, all the more potent in its quiet insistence. He couldn’t resist. 

 

“He flew a lot of missions when I was a kid.” K was stilted at first, but found that instead of regret he experienced relief. As if holding back had been a burden instead of a duty he took pride in. “I didn’t see him a lot. Mom and I were alone most of the time. But when he was there, he was _there_. He would come up with all kinds of activities for he and I to do - baseball games, movies, road trips. I guess he felt a little guilty.” K blinked away errant moisture gathering at the corner of his eyes. “If I’d had the choice, I would rather have had him there all the time instead of those things.”

 

Rey propped herself up on her elbow and K turned his head toward her. There was something in her eyes, an understanding he didn’t expect to see.

 

“That must have been hard.”

 

He nodded. “It was,” he admitted, hating how his voice thickened with emotion as he recalled exactly how difficult those years had been. He cleared his throat and forced his gaze back to the sky. “But that’s life.”

 

A beat and then: “You told me your mother taught you how to dance,” Rey said. Glad for the change in direction, K’s mouth twitched involuntarily toward a smile. “What else did she teach you?”

 

The smile appeared fully on his face. “How to drive. What to wear to an interview. How to talk to girls.” 

 

“I think you still need a little practice there,” Rey quipped and K raised a brow. 

 

“I think I do pretty well.”

 

“Mmm, sometimes.” Rey pursed her lips, obviously repressing a smile of her own. “What else?”

 

K slid his hand up and down Rey’s arm as he thought. What he was telling her wasn’t dangerous. No names. No locations. He could tell her more. He _wanted_ to tell her more.

 

“Everything. She taught me everything.” He hadn’t meant to make it sound so… forlorn. An ache in his chest made it hard to breath and he coughed. Rey brushed back a lock of his hair that fell into his face. 

 

“Are you close?”

 

“We were very close.”

 

“Were?” she pushed gently and K stiffened. “Matt?”

 

“We aren’t so much anymore.” He said roughly. Damn it, what power did she have over him? He couldn’t shut his mouth. 

 

“Why?”

 

Again he answered despite his better judgement. “My… my work. Something happened a long time ago. Kind of broke things between us. Rey,” he looked at her with wide eyes and knew that she could see the fear in them. But he had to say this. Now that the door was open he needed to give her some warning. Even if it did edge dangerously close to exposure. “I’m not… I’m not a good man. I’ve done some-” he worked his jaw “-some bad things.”

 

Rey frowned and he was sure she was going to ask what and he wouldn’t be able to tell her. Then she would get angry and leave. He wouldn’t blame her. But she surprised him, as usual.

 

“We’ve all done bad things, Matt.” 

 

It was almost frustrating how easily she said the words.

 

“Not like me.” He muttered, looking away. 

 

Rey shifted to lean over him and, placing a palm against his cheek, drew his gaze back to hers. “What I mean is just because you’ve done bad things doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be… to have someone care for you.” Her cheeks were pink and her eyes bright. She was so lovely and K wished he could believe her. Oh, how he wanted to believe her. But she didn’t know everything. If she did, she wouldn’t be so kind.

 

“Rey, you don’t understand. It’s diff-”

 

“Stop.”

 

His eyes widened at the sharpness in her tone and how her expression hardened. 

 

Rey pressed her lips together before continuing. “You _are_ a good man, Matt. I know it. Poe knows it. So do Rose and Finn. You’ve proved that to them. To me. Please believe me.” There was a note of desperation in the plea and K found he was speechless in the face of it. “I know,” Rey added, “what it’s like to be alone and have no one. Unkar made me believe I deserved it. I won’t let anyone else I care about feel that way. Ever. So stop it.”

 

For a second K couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t focus on anything except that she’d admitted she cared about him. Then everything else she’d said came crashing into focus and he suffered emotional whiplash.

 

There was only one thing he could do.

 

He cradled the back of her head and drew her down for a kiss in which he held nothing back.

 

The most wonderful, terrifying part of it was that neither did she. 

**Author's Note:**

> For updates and general reylo silliness follow me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/StarToured) and [tumblr](http://star-toured.tumblr.com/)!


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